


The Steam Lounge

by AmyKenobixx



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Coffee Shops, Early Work, F/M, Feud, Inspired by Music, Kidnapping, Music, Original Character(s), Rape/Non-con Elements, Trauma, Unhealthy Relationships, hostage, music industry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 11:14:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22235215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyKenobixx/pseuds/AmyKenobixx
Summary: Mercy De Luca works in a coffee shop on the quiet side of town and keeps to herself, dreaming of the day she can leave town and start fresh.Her entire life gets overthrown when she is kidnapped by Fall Out Boy because of a dangerous feud. Peace and quiet become a rare commodity at the hands of her captors as they try to bend her to their every will. Can Mercy keep it together, or will she fall victim to the music industry mayhem?
Kudos: 2





	1. Track 1 - Side 1: So Far (It's alright)

Mahogany counters glowed amber with the parting rays of the sun, the bustle outside of people and machines alike had faded to a hum hours ago. An obscure band played lowly over the tearoom's speakers and long, ungainly fingers drummed out the predictable beat against the wood beneath them.

Mercy had started her shift hours ago, and her unkempt, wild hair spilt from its tie messily as proof. Her eyes ached and stung slightly like she'd been staring at a computer screen for way too long; her hands pulsed numbly from all the coffees she'd made that day.

There weren't any customers to speak of in the shop that needed to be taken care of, so she watched the clock in despair. And, of course, the smallest hand of the clock ticked by infuriatingly slowly just for her.

The Steam Lounge was a really quaint, vintage tearoom, the plush fabric and leather seats that were dotted around the room had been known to swallow people whole with how soft they were and the entire place was decked out with mahogany. The walls sported old movie posters and girl power adds from the seventies, which she had to admit, were pretty empowering. Feminism was always pretty fucking cool in her opinion.

Mercy gave an exhausted sigh and flopped into one of the ridiculously soft chairs behind the counter, pressing her palms into her eyes and rubbing furiously. She couldn't care less about her eyeliner right now, she'd heard the raccoon look was in now anyway.

While she loved working in the Lounge, the evening shift was so exhausting. Normally there would be one other person taking the shift with her - Will - but he'd called on with a bad case of the flu and she was stuck taking the shift alone. Everybody else had been unavailable. It was just as well that the business was slow tonight or she would have been pretty fucked. 

I'd better be being paid overtime for this, the blue-eyed girl thought to herself, he fingers tapping restlessly on the chair's leather armrests. 

The sudden all-too-loud chiming bell sound of the shop's door opening jolted her to her feet, her heart hammering in her chest before calming again. 

Holy shit had that surprised her; it was a small miracle that she hadn't made some stupid, embarrassing shriek in her shock. 

The customer stood just in front of the door, watching her with quiet amusement. After a few seconds, he moved to sit on one the nearby seats, taking out his phone and begging to tap away. He seemed familiar, but no one she'd actually met. Maybe I've passed him in the street before or something.

Mercy was sure she was a sight to behold in all her dishevelled glory. Thick, wavy hair falling around her face, eyeliner smeared around her eyes and her mouth gaping open in surprise.

As soon as the saw the customer's shoulders shaking in barely contained laughter as he glanced over to her, she snapped her jaw shut with an audible click. Immediately she had finished her assessment of the stranger: Grade 1 fuckboy. Avoid at all costs to prevent assault charges. 

Mercy checked the clock again, twenty minutes to seven. Twenty minutes to closing time, and a twenty-minute test to see how good her self-control was. 

Ok, I can do this. Hopefully. 

The brunette took a slow breath to calm herself before examining the customer's profile from the corner of her eye. She hoped she was not being overly obvious.

She'd seen that he was kinda on the short side when he'd walked into the shop, but now she noticed the slightly too dark shade of caramel to be just a healthy tan, making it clear that he was either slightly mixed-race or just really liked to fake tan. Fairly close-cropped dark hair, she guessed at dark eyes. She had to admit, he wasn't that bad looking, a little old for her... a lot too old for her if her estimate was correct, or even in the same ballpark. Very illegal.

The clock hit quarter to seven with a click and Mercy grudgingly realised that she would have to take his order before closing time, it was pretty obvious that she couldn't just show him out without serving him. That was a sure-fire way to get a complaint filed with her manager, and that was the last thing she needed at that particular moment in time.

"Hey!" she called from over the counter. His gaze flickered up to meet her's, his smile making her less confident. "You might wanna order now sir, it's almost closing time and I need to start clearing things... away..." Mercy trailed off as the man rose from his seat and began to saunter over.

The brunette leaned a little way back from the counter when he rested his crossed forearms on it, turning his eyes to examine the menu behind her. 

Minutes ticked away and Mercy's fingers began to tap impatiently away at the wooden tops, staring blankly at the customer. She was string to suspect that he was taking so long in purpose just to tick her off, going by the little foxy smile that still lingered at the edges of his mouth. She also noticed that he looked over at her every few seconds, completely silent. 

The blue-eyed teen let out an obnoxiously loud and gusty sigh to display her annoyance and impatience. Dark eyes turned fully to her and that infuriating smile was back full force.

"How about you order for me? What would you get, honeybunch?" Fuckboy drawled, sarcasm colouring the last word.

She twisted around sharply to the counter behind her without even having to think about it and began to rather viciously prepare the order. She set to work slamming down ingredients and buttons on machines with killer intent. The blender screeched painfully loud, pulverizing the ice into tiny fragments. 

"My name is Pete, by the way." Mercy heard the guy announce behind her. She turned, barely stopping herself from rolling her eyes at the man.

"Good to know. This isn't Starbucks, mate." She replied, her tone aggravated. 

I wonder how much trouble I'd get into if I put various parts of this douchebag into the blender, Mercy mused thoughtfully as she poured the ice shards into a clear plastic cup. After adding the coffee and flavoured syrup to the drink, as she popped a cap onto the rim of the drink and poked a straw into the cold, sweet beverage.

The shorter teen ran the order she knew off by heart through the till next to her. "$3.50 please," she wasn't even trying to sound pleasant anymore and the customer was hit full force with her completely inflectionless tone and blank face known to make full-grown men cringe. However, this dude just carried on smiling pleasantly as he handed over the money and examined the cold beverage before him curiously.

"Caramel Frappuccino, huh?" He sounded amused. Cue another eye roll, Mercy thought.

"I have to start packing away for the night sir, so with all due respect..." - yeah right - "Could you please leave?" He didn't even seem startled or remotely offended, he just carried on smiling like he found something incredibly funny and nodded.

"Sure thing sugar cube, thanks for the drink," he turned and strode out of the shop immediately, giving Mercy no time to reply.

"Fucking weirdo'" The brunette muttered to herself before beginning to wipe down the counters with a cloth.

+++

Will still hadn't come back to work, the flu was still going strong apparently. Mercy was stuck once again taking the evening shift alone. It had been busier earlier but now as it came to closing time, the rush had calmed and she could begin to pack away with no disturbances like the one the night before.

Mercy flicked the stores lights off with a soft click and left out the back door, locking it behind her. It was almost winter and it was beginning to get darker earlier. The streetlights were on, casting a mellow glow over the streets carpeted in dead leaves.

It's was so pretty she couldn't help but smile, but the sudden cold chill that raced up her body from the wind reminded her that if she didn't get home soon, she'd probably freeze stiff. She grabbed the bike that was chained up the rack beside her and unlocked it, immediately climbing onto it and setting off. Cycling was a pretty good way to generate body heat, so she didn't mind getting home that way.

Her home was a few blocks away and it only took fifteen minutes of brisk cycling to get there, but on nights like these, she liked to go through some of the closed-off alleys that didn't allow the freezing cold wind to follow her. She was just turning down one when she was sent flying, landing with a jarring thud on the concrete.

Pain exploded all over her body and lights flashed behind her eyes to the extent of feeling like they were blinding her.

Then Mercy began to hear voices over the shrieking white noise blaring in her ears, sounding panicked and angry. "Patrick I told you to follow her, not fucking run her over!" She was pretty sure 'Patrick' replied, but everything else was drowned out by a fresh wave of debilitating agony resounding from her right leg. She couldn't stop a small keen of pain escaping her trembling lips.

"Shit, we need to get her in the car. If people hear her, they'll come and see what's going on." a voice muttered worryingly close to her.

There was a unanimous sound of agreement before she was gently picked up, causing yet another tsunami of agony to jump through her nerves.

What the hell is this douchebag doing? Are they fucking trying to put me in a pain-induced coma? If so, they're doing a pretty good job!

Mercy's world began to fade a little at the edges. Her breathing slowed along with the shaking of her limbs.

She faintly heard another voice. 'Shit, I think she's going into shock. Guys hurry!" Suddenly she was warmer than she had been before and there was a weird pulling sensation on her body like she was in a car.

There was a male voice above her chanting "Shit, shit, shit," over and over again, which was beginning to slowly lull her to sleep. She almost wanted to yawn, but her body wouldn't move.

Oh well, she thought absently before slipping into the dark.


	2. Track 2 - Side 1: When Are We Waking Up?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My head keeps spinning at the thought of the past with these memories built on stone, I don't think you're lying alone."

Mercy was awoken by a pounding sensation in her head as she lay, encased in clean white bedsheets that were messily strewn across her body.

The teenager opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the pain in her temples. The last thing she remembered was blacking out in that stupid car. Jesus Christ.

As she thought over the previous day's events she became more alert, aware that she unquestionably could be in a lot of danger.

Her pupils glanced around the sullen room she lay in and she noticed that almost everything was either a bright white or dull brown colour. How delightful. They must have paid an arm and a leg for this interior decorator.

The bed she lay on was tiny as well as uncomfortable, springs digging into her back and creaking excruciatingly with her every move. There were no windows so she couldn't even tell what time of day it was. The only light was a blaring bulb that was in the flickering lamp next to her.

It shifted her attention to a small bedside table to her right. On a white coaster sat a clear Starbucks cup with condensation dripping down the side. Mercy took it in her hand, inspecting the label.

Caramel frappuccino. Her coffee order with her name scribbled on the side.

It was too much for her to process after just waking up and, as she heard movement outside the room, she panicked and set the drink back down.

The shadows of two feet could be seen under the door as someone loitered outside and Mercy quickly swung her legs over the side of the bed in a feeble attempt to stand. If someone was going to come in, she wanted to be able to defend herself.

As she jumped up onto her feet pain shot through her right leg. "Fucking cunt, wow!" She screeched unintentionally, falling back onto the sheets. The door was pushed open to reveal a man leaning against the wall.

His curly hair fell messily around his face, giving him a rugged look. He was taller than Mercy but, then again, who wasn't? He appeared pale in the harsh light. While his stance inferred that he was overly confident, the smile on his face confirmed it for her.

"You okay?" He questioned, casually. His prolonged stare was eating into Mercy as she glanced at the slight grin playing on his lips.

"Obviously not." She replied, bitterly holding her ankle in her hands. "How did you know that was my coffee order?" Her words sounding like nothing more than a curious thought.

The guy smiled a little. "Let's just say we had a hunch. You haven't had any of it, surely you're thirsty." He replied. Mercy shook her head quickly.

The man continued his perusal glances. "Hungry?" He asked with a tilted head, looking her up and down with a sense of disgust.

Mercy looked up in disbelief, deeply feeling a twinge of annoyance as he failed to give any explanation.

She watched him step further into the room. He looked down at her ankle and then back at her face. "I said, are you hungry?" He persisted.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes and nod. The man's smile lucidly appeared to widen as she attempted to stand up. He watched her struggle and fall against the cabinet of drawers, hissing in pain. What a dick. He stepped back into the hall, flashing her yet another smile. "Kitchen is on the right. Could take you a while." He muttered before disappearing briskly back down the corridor.

After Mercy stood sending a death glare into the empty corridor for a few seconds, she managed to hobble out of the room at a snail's pace. Instead of immediately turning right as she had been instructed to, she walked left.

The corridor was narrow and a couple of steps later, she reached the end of it and stopped. Around the right-hand wall she could see a man sat on a sofa. Mercy quickly ducked back behind the wall before something caught her eye.

The girl was confronted by a wall made entirely of windows. It had been the same all around into the living area too. Apart from the small corridor, the flat looked to be open plan. Classy. As she looked out at the view she realised that she had no idea where she was. She did, however, know that she was very high off the ground. She suspected that it was a penthouse apartment.

As she stared out at the view she felt her heart sinking slightly. How the hell do I get out of this one? Down on the streets of where ever the hell she was, life seemed to be going on as normal. Men in pinstriped suits conversing on the phone as they walked to and from their work. Taxis riding around, trying not to run people over with what could be described as overzealous joyriding. Normal people getting on with their normal lives, trailing the footpaths and crossing only when the green man appeared. She didn't waste a moment in praying that someone down there was looking for her.

She looked back to her right, seeing that the man was no longer sat on the sofa. She shrugged it off, thankful that he had gone. To her left was an elevator. She mentally scolded herself for not noticing it earlier. Mercy approached it warily, looking for the buttons to get it open. In the other side of the apartment, she heard a door slam.

She cursed silently, realising that she couldn't actually open the doors. A voice shouted from the kitchen. "Congrats babycakes, you found a fucking elevator!" It was the man from the bedroom, his voice thick with sarcasm. It was followed by the sound of snickering. Mercy turned on her heels, slowly limping back down the corridor grumpily.

The kitchen had the glass walls too. It was large and scattered with various high tech cooking utensils. She was met by the same smug-looking face she had seen minutes before. "Food is over there." He announced, pointing to the dining table at the other end of the room. It seemed like miles away.

Mercy's ankle started to hurt her more now, as she reluctantly began to limp towards the table. Sat on the opposite side was another man who was on his phone. His glasses lay slightly lopsided on the bridge of his nose and Mercy noticed that his eyes were bright blue with a ring of yellow around the pupil. As she studied his eyes that were lit by his phone screen, he glanced up and winked at her. She suddenly felt self-conscious, looking down at the table as a slight blush crept across her cheeks.

Her gaze focused on the food. A grilled ham and cheese sandwich sat on the plate before her, but she hesitated. What if they've done something to it? The two men were watching her as she picked it up and took a small bite. The man across the table sighed and then looked over at the other man. "Hey Joe, at least she isn't on hunger strike." He joked, standing up and walking over to the living room area behind her.

God I wanna give him the finger. Mercy quickly finished the sandwich, having not eaten since the morning before. She snook a glance at the large black and white clock that rested on the wall and saw that it was almost midday. Have I really been out that long? Yet another man walked into the kitchen from a small corridor that started next to the fridge. He seemed to avoid looking at Mercy, simply going to the fridge and getting a drink. She saw that he was covered in tattoos and had slight stubble.

She picked up her plate, taking a deep breath. As she put pressure on her ankle, she couldn't help but let out a small whimper. Her plate rattled as her hands shook, pain running through her body.

As soon as she had stood up and tried to take a step, she fell forwards onto the table, dropping her plate back onto the surface. The guy who had just walked in was looking at her along with Joe, who glared at her slightly. "It goes in there." He said, glancing at the sink at the far wall. Don't say anything. You'll only piss him off more.

Before she could take another step the other man in the kitchen looked at Joe. "Really?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Joe shrugged.

"Yeah Andy, really." He replied. Mercy hobbled a couple of steps, hearing a cupboard open and a tap running before seeing Andy stop her in her tracks holding a glass of water. She flinched a little when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

He took the plate out of her hands, placing it back on the table. "Come on, go sit down." He said softly, putting his arm around her side in order to support her. After he had helped her to the sofa and put her feet up on the coffee table so she could rest them, he handed her the glass of water. Andy then proceeded to pick up the plate, passing Joe with a glare. "Asshole." He muttered, dropping the plate in the sink and going back down the small corridor.

Mercy was now perched on the same sofa as the man from the dining room table. He smiled, once again putting his phone away to look at her. "Why are you sitting so far away? I don't have cooties." He said, turning to face her.

She couldn't help but glare over at him. "I'm not a kid, it would be nice if you stopped treating me like one." She said, her confidence boosting a little.

The man smile seemed to brighten in a way that made Mercy uncomfortable. He shuffled closer to her, cornering her on against the arm of the sofa. "Really? That's interesting, Joe never told me that. How old are you honey?" He asked in a husky tone, placing one hand on her shoulder and softly stroking it.

She shivered and Joe shouted over, rolling his eyes. "Down Patrick. She's not ready for that just yet."

His words sat heavily with Mercy and she worried about what he meant by that. Patrick sniggered, relaxing and taking his hands off her. Andy walked back into the lounge, scowling at Patrick and his close proximity to Mercy. She watched him as he sat down in a chair. I don't know who he is, but I like him a hell of a lot more than I like the other two.

Somehow the names and the faces that were around her seemed oddly familiar. Mercy knew that she'd never met them before, but she still seemed to know of them. The lift pinged and the doors slid open noisily. She glanced at the corner as a figure walked through into the room, carrying a few bags. The man smiled as he caught her glance.

"Hey sugarcube! You sleep well?" He asked. It was Pete, the guy from The Steam Lounge. Mercy looked around in horror as she realised how she knew them. Fall Out Boy.

She quickly looked at Patrick who was closer than she had realised. "Where is the bathroom?" She asked, backing away from him. Patrick pointed to the door in the corner of the room.

Mercy got to her feet, limping quickly past Pete and locking herself in the bathroom. She fell against the wall, letting herself slide to the floor. It can't be them. Anyone but them. Right now they were the last people anyone in the De Luca family wanted to see. After a moment Mercy could feel tears in her eyes. She couldn't control them as she began to cry, quiet sobs coming from her throat.

She never wanted to step foot outside the bathroom again. Her heart pounded as she heard the voices in the living room. "So she's got a bad ankle, anything else?" Pete asked the others, his voice close to the door.

Mercy heard Andy speak up. "Isn't that enough? These two are acting like fucking children and treating her like she's trash." He said, angrily.

She heard someone make a shushing sound as she tried to control her sobs. It wasn't working. "She's crying," Joe said softly causing someone to snigger.

"Of course she is. She's figured out why we want her." Patrick said to the others before they all laughed. This only made her more upset. She could hear a few other quiet laughs followed by footsteps.

There was a light knock on the door. "Hey Mercedes. Open up please." A voice said from the other side of the door. Mercy was now becoming afraid of the people in the flat. The person repeated themselves. "Open the door." This time the voice was more firm. She reached up, undoing the lock and burying her face in her lap.

The door creaked open, two people coming into the large bathroom and sitting beside her. Mercy felt tissues being pressed into her hand and an arm went around her shoulders. She looked up to see Pete and Patrick sat either side of her. "Dry your eyes sweetie, there is no need to cry," Patrick told her, so close that she could feel every word spoken warmly on her neck.

Pete was smiling at her, his eyes actively searching for hers. "We aren't going to hurt you as long as you listen to us." He comforted. This seemed to make her feel worse. They helped her stand up and held her as she limped into the living room. She sat down on the couch but looked up at Pete. She was genuinely tired, worn out by all the pain she had experienced in the last half an hour.

"My head hurts, can I go back to the room and sleep?" She asked, her voice small and slight. She could see Joe smirking but Andy was on his phone, ignoring what was happening. She hated herself for seeming so weak.

Pete shook his head. "After you get up in the morning you're not allowed back in the bedrooms until night unless we tell you otherwise Mercedes. Your concussion will still be pretty bad so you can sleep on the couch, I'm sure Patrick will look after you." He replied. Mercy looked at Patrick who was glancing at her with a smirk. Yeah, sure.

"Everyone calls me Mercy." She whispered instinctively. Pete smiled widely, nodding to her. She did as Pete said, laying down on the sofa. Patrick shot Pete a look before lifting her head and placing it on his lap.

"That's better. Be a good girl for Patrick." Pete said, obviously worried that if she didn't have someone watching her at all times she would somehow cause trouble.

As Mercy shut her eyes, she felt somewhat safer. Patrick's hand seemed to be stroking her hair softly. There was no rational explanation to this but she doubted they would do anything if she was asleep, there would be no point. She seemed to fade out of the noise for a while. Not sleeping deeply, just dozing slightly.


	3. Track 3 - Side 1: Time To Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "They believe it from the tears and teeth right down to the blood at her feet."

When Mercy finally woke up again, she saw that the sun was setting.

She sat up quickly, looking out at it. Christ, it's beautiful up here. Patrick's eyes followed her every move as she looked around the penthouse. He had set his beer down on the table beside him. "Pete and Joe have gone out for the night. Andy is doing work so you're stuck with me." He said to her, getting her attention. 

Her face seemed to fall but she tried to hide it. "You've got clean clothes in your room if you wanna get changed. I'll allow it." He continued. She jumped to her feet, forgetting about her injury. 

"Shit." She hissed to herself, steadying herself. Patrick had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as he stood up and helped her limp to her room. 

She saw jeans and a t-shirt laid out for her. Just as she went to close the door, Patrick put his foot in it. "I can't let you out of my sight." He said smirking. She knew he was testing her to see how strong she was and, after her performance earlier, she really needed to up her game. 

Mercy slowly pulled off the clothes she was wearing, noticing how his eyes scanned her restlessly. She was about to grab the outfit set out when she glanced back at Patrick. "You don't have any spare underwear do you?" She asked, smiling as much as she could. He stared for a minute before nodding and showing her which drawer it was in. As she picked up a pair of men's boxers she sighed. I miss my own underwear drawer already.

She turned her back to Patrick, who was now sat on the bed. "Could you turn away for one second?" The girl requested, her eyes shining as she smiled at him again. He turned his head, closing his eyes. Mercy dropped the smile she had plastered on and sighed quietly. She pulled down the underwear she had been wearing and pulled on the boxers quickly, feeling exposed. 

Mercy then reached over and picked up the clothes, tapping Patrick to show him that it was all clear. Once she was dressed Patrick helped her back to the front room, leaving her on the sofa as he made food. She put her feet up, looking over at Patrick as he prepared the ingredients. 

"Where is Andy?" She wondered, curiously. She knew he was doing work but they were musicians. Do they work here? Patrick couldn't help but smirk.

"So you know our names now? Impressive." He uttered sarcastically. She sent him a glare.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She questioned, feeling insulted. 

He turned around and looked annoyed. "Oh please, don't act like you don't know. It's everywhere. Every magazine covering the same fucking story. Andy is currently phoning up companies and seeing if there is any way we can legally challenge your parents." He started to shout. She almost gasped at his response.

"I know why you're angry but I am not my parents. Don't act like I'm in any way associated with them or their decisions. I work in a fucking coffee shop!" She retaliated. 

Patrick stopped what he was doing and came over to her as she stood up. "You worked in a coffee shop. You don't anymore. Now you're here with us whether you like it or not." He reminded her. I cannot believe this guy. Mercy glared at him with a slight look of smugness.

"I just had to get changed in front of you because you apparently can't let me out of your sight. Everything you are doing is just pathetic and spiteful." She said in response. 

He looked at her with an allure of power. "I think you should sit down, you're gonna hurt your foot." He murmured to her, trying to push her back onto the sofa. Nice try. She grabbed his hand to stop him.

"You're just a jumped-up lead singer that's got more male dominance issues and delusions of grandeur than actual talent. No wonder my parents changed their minds." She shouted, walking away from him.

He shouted after her. "Where are you going?" His voice echoed through her head as she turned back to look at him.

"The toilet, is that okay with you?" She asked, her patience wearing thin.

He started to follow her. "Sit back down." He ordered. 

She turned her nose up in disgust. "Oh, fuck off!" She loudly spoke, closing the bathroom door.

When she came back out Patrick was in the kitchen cooking, she snook through to the bedrooms without him noticing. When she reached her bedroom she found a key to the door, locking herself inside and just lying on the bed. Is this my bedroom now? Ten minutes later she heard hammering on her door. 

"Mercy, dinner is ready. Come out now or I'll call Pete." Patrick shouted through the door. She found herself unlocking her door, scared of what Pete would do if he came home and found out what she said to Patrick. She didn't understand why she was more afraid of Pete.

She got her food from the kitchen, ignoring Patrick at the dining table. She slumped on the sofa and picked at the food, showing no interest in eating or speaking to Patrick. She placed the half-empty bowl on the coffee table and sighed showing her exhaustion, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath. 

Ten minutes later Patrick took her bowl, handing her an ice-cold beer. She looked up at him, a little surprised. "Peace offering." He said, not looking her in the eye. She scoffed and took it reluctantly. 

"One: I'm underage. Two: Not sure one beer is gonna cut it." She responded confidently.

When he came back holding his own beer, he grinned. "Well, there are more in the refrigerator." He told her. 

She couldn't help but laugh lightly at his comment as he sat beside her. He turned on the TV, watching the news in silence. As Mercy finished her beer, she handed to empty bottle to Patrick, who was going to get another. "I've got a better idea." He said, throwing away the bottles and pulling out vodka from the cupboards. 

Mercy suddenly knew what she had to do. All she needed to do was get him drunk and then steal the key card for the lift which she had seen him put in his jean pocket. It would be easy. Patrick poured out two shots of vodka and got two glasses, filling them with coke and then adding the shots. He brought them over to the lounge, handing her one of the glasses. As she took a sip she was surprised about how strong vodka was. She had never tried it before so it was something she wasn't used to. 

As the news ended half an hour later, the drinks were already gone and getting replenished. Patrick turned off the TV, pulling Mercy to her feet. She was starting to feel the alcohol slightly but she could tell that it was taking more effect on Patrick. "Here I wanna show you something." He said quietly, pulling her to a shelf in the living room. He revealed a record player with stacks of vinyl underneath. 

"You wanna listen to some music while I get more drinks?" He asked her, smiling. She nodded, picking out records straight away. When he came back with another two larger looking vodka and cokes. Patrick seemed to drink his very quickly, starting to slur some words as he sang along to the songs badly. Mercy laughed, nudging Patrick every time he messed up the words. 

"Your jeans are so tight, man. I didn't think you could get men's jeans that tight." Mercy commented, looking at Patrick's legs. He shook his head, beaming. 

"You can't. They're women's." He answered, causing them both to break into a fit of hysterics. They continued the cycle for around two hours, giggling at each other as they both stumbled and danced horrifically. It felt unnatural at first, but then the feeling of ease took over, making Patrick's company enjoyable.

As it got darker outside Mercy couldn't help but stare at the lights in awe. "It's so perfect up here." She said, her fingertips running across the window. Patrick nodded from behind her, putting his hand on the glass too.

"Yeah, it's pretty." He agreed. Patrick then dragged Mercy, who's ankle was now not hurting so much. 

"You need to sleep. Concussion." He slurred out, pulling her down onto the sofa. She sat next to him, her eyes heavy and her body limp. Patrick fell asleep within seconds of sitting down. Mercy smiled to herself, remembering her earlier plan. She was about to reach into his pocket and get the key card when she realized something. Women's jeans. Fake pockets. Fuck you fashion industry. 

She could feel the card, but it wasn't in his pocket which meant it was a layer down. She braced herself, putting her hand slightly into Patrick's waistband. She managed to grab the card. Suddenly Patrick moved a little, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards him. "Not tonight baby girl." He slurred, eyes still shut. She was now tightly in his embrace, almost falling asleep herself. 

She woke him up suddenly and he let go. "Would you go get me a drink?" She asked, holding his hand. He nodded, putting on a smile and staggering to his feet, walking to the kitchen. Mercy then got up immediately, running around the corner to the lift. She smiled, inserting the key card and waiting.

After a minute or so, nothing happened so she took it out and put it back in again. She waited for a second time before sighing. "Why are you not working?" She hissed quietly to it. 

"Maybe it's because that is my library card, baby." A voice said from behind her. She turned to see Patrick stood up straight, completely sober and composed. 

"What?" She stuttered out, feeling herself become fuzzier by the second. He stepped closer, removing the library card from the slot and looking at Mercy smugly.

"You really think I didn't realise your plan straight away? I'm not that stupid." He said, cornering her. "I kept pouring all my shots into your drinks. All night I've been drinking coke and you have been drinking doubles." He explained. A disoriented Mercy didn't fully understand.

"Why give me the alcohol anyway then?" She asked, her body swaying with pure intoxication. His hands went to her waist to support her.

"Because it was funny to see you drunk. To see you go along with anything I said or did. Also, I hear teenage girls can be very vulnerable when they're drunk baby, I wanted to see it for myself." He explained, stepping in front of her so she was in a corner, with nowhere to run. 

"Andy! Help!" She screeched out of the blue, trying to get away from Patrick. 

He shook his head at her weak attempts to struggle. "Andy will be asleep. Joe and Pete will be out for a couple more hours and plus if Pete found out what you've done he'd be mortified." He reminded her. The alcohol, concussion and panic all seemed to set in as soon as Mercy looked at Patrick, inches away from her.

"Don't try and get away from me. I'm talking to you." He ordered. Mercy looked around, ignoring him and attempting to find some way to get out of the situation. He slapped her roughly, watching her hold her cheek in pain. "I said stop." He shouted. She started to feel herself getting weaker and unable to stand but she fought it. Her eyes kept snapping shut unintentionally.

"Aw, you seem tired. Shall I take you to bed baby?" He said, the word baby, making Mercy sick to her stomach. She fought in his grip but then she fell to the floor altogether. Meanwhile, footsteps raced down from the kitchen to the lift area. Andy arrived, seeing Mercy on the floor with Patrick stood by her. He had heard her screaming and woken up, running to see what was the matter.

Andy was only wearing pyjama bottoms and as he picked up Mercy, he gave Patrick an annoyed stare. "Don't lay another finger on her, I will end you." Andy snarled at him.

Patrick smiled approaching him. "And what would Pete say about that?" Patrick asked smugly. Andy pushed passed him.

"Pete's not here." He muttered. Andy carried Mercy to her room, tucking her into bed and getting up to leave a second later. He stopped when the young girl grabbed his hand a little, her grip weak but still noticeable. He smiled, sitting next to her bed for a moment. He stayed until she let go of his hand and was fully asleep. Soon he stood up, leaving her lying alone in the darkness.


	4. Track 4 - Side 1:Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "In my life why do I smile at people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?"

Pete and Joe stumbled out of the elevator in the early hours of the morning. Joe beckoned for Pete to follow him into Mercy's room. They both saw her sleeping peacefully, shutting the door behind themselves. 

"God, she's easy on the eyes. You've got to admit." Pete said whilst admiring the teenager's face, making Joe laugh. He nodded in agreement, stepping closer to the bed. 

"So now she's here, what are you gonna do?" He asked Pete, obviously curious about what he was planning with the girl in their apartment. Pete's smile widened as he thought about it, an eyebrow-raising. 

"Well, she obviously doesn't like it here. She's made that pretty clear. Just keep her I guess, that's enough to piss her off. It's definitely enough to piss her parents off too." He explained. Joe frowned, running his hands along the mattress carelessly.

"Yeah but she's a little bitch, all she does is argue. According to Patrick's texts, she tried getting him drunk so she could sneak out. You gonna let her get away with that?" He asked, waiting for an answer that he already knew. Joe could clearly see that Pete was much drunker than he was, and could be easily influenced. Joe wanted to see Mercy get hurt, especially after what she'd done to them. If he could convince him to do something now, he'd remember it in the morning and think it was his idea. 

"Course not, I'll have a word. She'll learn to hold her tongue a little more and if not, I guess we'll have no choice but to teach her a lesson." Pete said smirking at him. Joe was about to leave when Pete pulled back the sheets, revealing Mercy's clothed body. 

"Oh fuck, I'm kinda mad. That just isn't fair." Pete complained. Joe glanced over. 

"What's bothering you?" He asked, stepping back into the room slowly, sensing an opportunity.

"Mercy. Where does a guy get a girl with a body like that?" He wondered aloud, his eyes tracing her hips. He wanted to reach out and touch her but was worried that Joe would think he was weird. 

"Well if you want to teach her a lesson you could always just fuck her," Joe replied, making Pete turn to him with raised eyebrows. "Wouldn't be that hard to hold her down, I don't think she's strong. You could just wait until she's not expecting it and then overpower her, wouldn't be difficult for you." Joe pointed out, making Pete smile to himself in his inebriated state. He climbed on the edge of the bed, touching her arm softly. 

He was kneeling above her, watching as she turned over in her sleep. "You hear that Mercy? I'm gonna fuck you until you're sore. Gonna make you scream my name as you come for me, baby. You'll probably love it, you dirty little slut." He whispered to her, his hand reaching up her shirt to touch her soft waist. Pete looked over at Joe. "I bet she's one of those really naive, innocent teenage girls that hasn't even touched themselves." He commented.

"I think you might be right there mate," Joe replied. He left after that, smiling as he said goodnight to Pete and went back to his room with a sense of smugness.

Pete was still sat with Mercy, feeling her skin as she continued to shuffle around in the bed. "You'd be so much more comfortable in my room honey." He whispered as the bedframe creaked loudly. She almost woke minutes later as he was still hovering above her, but he managed to coax her back to sleep.

"No Mercy, don't open your eyes. Just listen. If you're a good girl for me, then we aren't going to have any problems. But if you're a naughty little girl and don't do what I tell you to, I'll have to punish you. I'd hate to bruise that perfect little face of yours." He whispered as she kept on sleeping. 

He picked her up slowly and carried her to his room, stumbling slightly. Laying her down, he also got into bed. Her sleeping face was turned towards him and he grinned as she continued to rest, oblivious. He grabbed her thigh softly, trailing his hand up her leg. Small whimpers came from her mouth as he got higher. "I'm going to have so much fun with you, little one." He whispered, kissing the tip of her nose before settling down to sleep.

++

Mercy slept solidly for an hour or two before she was awoken by the faint sound of sirens on the roads below. She opened her eyes to find Pete sleeping next to her. After holding in the gasp she was concealing, she looked down and noticed his hand was gripping her upper thigh. She gently tried to push his hand from her leg but received a grunt in return. The grasp on her thigh tightened up.

"Go back to sleep." He whispered, making Mercy freeze next to him. His eyes were still shut and his voice had sounded tired, so she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. "Sweet dreams, sugarcube." He whispered again, his warm breath making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The feeling of his hands on her skin made her stomach flutter in a way she wasn't familiar with.

She waited another five minutes before she knew he was asleep again and got off the bed. She checked he was still sleeping, tiptoeing out of the room slowly so she wouldn't wake him up. She ambled into the living room area, looking around carefully.

It didn't feel like it was anyone's home. The cleanliness and neatness made it seem like it was a hotel room or something. Despite personal touches like photographs, it lacked sentiment. Mercy wondered if they enjoyed living here. She knew the view was beautiful but it just seemed too much. The perfect apartment isolated two dozen stories off the ground. 

Mercy felt like it was a prison. The only exit was a lift that was key card protected, although she was sure that she had seen some kind of fire exit down the small corridor leading from the kitchen. That was probably locked too knowing her luck.

She went to the kitchen, picking out a mug and finding the coffee machine. Mercy inspected it carefully. It was similar to one she used to have at her work, maybe the next model down as it was smaller. She pressed buttons on the machine, trying to remember how she made macchiatos. Once the machine was finished she added an extra shot of coffee, deciding that she had slept enough during the past day. 

Mercy found herself looking on the cabinets and in the drawers of the room. Next to the shelves holding the record player, she found an old Walkman portable CD player and some headphones attached. She had seen that the guys all had iPhones, so they probably never used it anymore. She flicked through the CDs on the shelf, finding one that she knew. There was everything from jazz to punk to rap to electro. 

Because of her parents, Mercy had always been open to any style of good music although she appreciated soft rock and indie slightly more than other genres. She found Hatful Of Hollow by The Smiths, putting it in the player and smiling to herself. She automatically skipped to number 5.

How Soon Is Now started to play through the earphones. It was one of her favourite songs because it reminded her of watching Charmed on Tuesday nights when she was younger. Her mom used to sit on the couch and watch too, that was back when she had the time. Mercy missed her mother's company but she understood why she had to put more time into work. 

She sipped her coffee, watching the bright lights and movement of the city streets below. She found herself sat on the ground, leaning against the window and staring out. The album played through as she simply observed, tapping her feet on the cream carpet. 8 tracks in, she took her empty coffee cup and washed it. She then placed it back in the cupboard. 

As she hunched back onto the glass wall she looked down at the CD player. Track 9 had started playing and she wanted to turn it off but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to. Mercy sighed and listened to the music playing in her ears. 

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour but heaven knows I'm miserable now. 

Mercy shut her eyes for a moment.

In my life why do I give valuable time to people who don't care if I live or die?

After the last line of the song, she pulled out the earphones and threw them to the floor. She didn't need another reason to be upset. She took out the CD, tossing it back on the shelf and then lay on the floor next to the window. Despite being in the middle of an over lit city she swore she could see the stars. 

Footsteps echoed through the flat and she sat up, looking around cautiously. Please don't be Patrick. As a figure peered around the corner she breathed in relief. It was Joe, wearing pjs and holding a glass of water. "What are you doing out here babycakes? You should be sleeping, you'll need your rest." He said, stepping through the lounge. 

Mercy felt herself tense up. Maybe this is worse than Patrick. He came and sat next to her, waiting for an answer. "Silent treatment. Really?" He asked, impatiently. She looked back outside, trying to focus on the lights. Joe put his hand on her shoulder, stroking the bare skin on her arm. She flinched away, diverting her glance from him altogether. 

"Jeez! Someone's touchy." He muttered, removing his hand. Mercy forced herself to look at Joe.

"Am I not allowed to be in here on my own?" She asked through gritted teeth. She didn't know what would happen if she broke one of their stupid rules but she could take a good guess.

Joe glanced at her with a half-smile. "If I say no, will you go back to bed?" He asked. From the amount of attention she was giving him Joe already knew the answer was no. "You're fine here, don't worry. I just wanted to know why you would want to sit in the living room, staring out the window." He said curiously. 

Mercy pointed out of the window, up to the sky. "Stars. By the looks of all the lights and activity, we are in a well-populated area but I can still see the stars, which is uncommon. I love the stars." She quietly rambled. Joe followed her gaze and looked to the sky, giving a sly smile.

"That's cute." He commented. She glanced at him for a spilt second before going back to ignoring him.

"Shouldn't you be going back to bed?" She asked, standing up and strutting into the kitchen. He seemed to follow her exact path, putting his arms either side of her on the counter so she was trapped. Mercy dared to look at him, standing her ground.

"I think you should go back to sleep too. You can come to my room, we'll do it together." Joe whispered sarcastically, his face close to hers. 

This was all an attempt at intimidation and, although it was working on Mercy, she failed to show it. "I'm not scared of you. Any of you." She forcefully pushed him away which resulted in him grasping her wrists firmly. His stare flicked over her face and he grinned.

"Next time Patrick hits you, put some ice on it. You've got a nasty mark." He suggested smugly before stepping away and heading back to his room.

There's gonna be a next time? She ran to the bathroom, looking at her cheek. Joe was right, the mark was worryingly visible. She cursed under her breath and locked the door. Stripping off her clothes quickly, Mercy jumped in the shower. She almost fell on her face but once she regained her balance she turned on the shower and hot water smothered her body. It was a good feeling in the morning; it woke her up a lot. 

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before grabbing a bottle of shampoo from the side. She quickly applied it, massaging her scalp slowly and carefully. Mercy then rinsed her hair, avoiding letting the stray drops of diluted shampoo drip down into her tired eyes. She then picked up the body wash and scrubbed her entire body slowly. Once she had washed it off and felt completely clean, she turned the water off.

Mercy was now wide awake, drying off her body and putting her clothes back on. She found her own underwear in the laundry, seeing that they were clean, and put them back on instead of the boxers. She strode out of the bathroom, back into the kitchen. As she made another coffee she watched the sun rise. It was around 6 am and there was something about the feeling of daylight shining into the room that made her feel peaceful, despite everything.


	5. Track 5 - Side 1: Blood Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But I'll kiss the ground where you kneel till I grow my hair to my heels."

Mercy sipped her coffee, about to sit down when she heard noises. They came from Andy's bedroom and she set to work, making him a coffee. She had to work out what kind of drink he would want. Mercy had a useless talent when it came to guessing people's coffee orders. He had slight ginger stubble and she found gingerbread coffee syrup in the cupboard so she assumed it was something along the lines of a latte. 

Amount of sugar was always the difficult one. It was a gamble really. If you've already put syrup in then you can eliminate one of the sugars they would have in a normal coffee. Andy seemed like a sweet guy, so Mercy guessed that he would normally have three sugars. It was surprising how much sugar some people would put in their coffee. 

When she went to get the sugar she saw sweetener. Anyone who gets up this early either can't sleep or is an active person. She knew that from early shifts at The Steam Lounge. Active also equalled healthy. She pulled out the sweetener instead and put two in the coffee. She then went to get milk. Next to the normal milk was a carton of soy milk. Mercy knew that this was probably Andy's too because it was healthier.

She mixed up the coffee and added a little extra foam from the machine. As Andy stepped out from his bedroom she turned to look at him. He jumped slightly, seeing her up and about. "How come you're up?" He asked, feeling a little more polite than Joe's method of asking. 

"Couldn't sleep. What about you?" She responded, shrugging her shoulders. Andy pointed to his trainers.

"I go for a run every morning." Mercy picked up the coffee as Andy was about to reach for the mugs. 

"I already made you a coffee. I heard you getting up so I thought I would save you the trouble." She replied. His smiled slightly, shaking his head. 

"Thank you but I don't have milk in my coffee. I'm vegan, I have-" He began to speak but she handed him the coffee.

"Soy milk, I know. I figured since you were up early and you seem like a kinda active person that you would be healthy as well. That's a gingerbread latte with soy milk, two sweeteners and extra foam." Mercy explained. 

Andy looked at the coffee and then at her. "How the hell did you do that?" He asked urgently. A smile spread across her face. 

"Did I get it right?" She asked, excitedly. He sipped the coffee and nodded, looking at her in bemusement. 

"Yep, that's perfect. It tastes a thousand times better than when I make it." He commented, drinking more. 

She grabbed herself a glass of water, examining the contents of the fridge while she was stood up. "I love it when that happens." She said.

When she sat down again Andy looked at her, still smiling. "Can you do that for everyone?" He asked as her glance trailed over to the corridor. 

Mercy sent him a coy smile. "I think Joe is a normal latte or cappuccino kind of guy but in October, I bet he drinks pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks." She said, searching Andy's face for his reaction.

He nodded. "Joe is a sucker for seasonal drinks. What about Patrick?" Andy questioned. 

Mercy sat thinking for a moment before she answered. "I think he is similar to Joe... but if he passes a Starbucks he gets a flavoured hot chocolate instead of a coffee." She said, pausing halfway through the sentence and biting her lip. Andy's mouth went wide open.

"How is this even possible?" He asked, putting his now empty cup in the sink. She shrugged, crossing her legs and smirking. 

Andy looked at her for a minute. "And Pete?" He asked knowingly. She scrunched up her nose thinking before she remembered something.

"That's a trick question. Pete doesn't know anything about coffee, I bet he only drinks it when you put it in his hand for him." She guessed.

Andy smiled and shook his head. "Please can you tell me how you guessed that?" He asked. Mercy smirked, telling him what had happened.

"He doesn't have a coffee order. He asked me for mine the other day when he-" She stopped herself mid-sentence and Andy's face fell. 

"Shit, I'm sorry. Bad topic." He said to her. Mercy just shook it off and gave him a half-smile.

"Don't worry." She replied, taking her glass and putting it in the sink. She noticed a stack of empty dishes that needed to be cleaned by the sink so she started running some water.

"You don't have to do that. You're not their slave. Let them clean their own goddamn dishes." Andy said, stopping her as soon as she began. 

She sat back down reluctantly, boredom setting in. Mercy noticed that Andy was looking at her face. She remembered what had happened last night when he had taken her to the bedroom before Patrick could hurt her anymore. "Thank you for yesterday. You didn't have to stand up for me like that." She said, trying to smile. 

He nodded. "It was obvious that they were bothering you, anyone would have done the same thing." He explained. Mercy took a moment to realize that he was talking about when she had been locked in the bathroom. 

She frowned slightly, continuing to stare at him. "I meant when you took me to bed. I don't know what Patrick would have done if you hadn't arrived." She said, her voice trembling slightly. 

Andy looked up at her, confused. "You were awake?" He asked. She nodded hesitantly before answering.

"Only slightly. Patrick made me drink a lot and my concussion kinda sent it over the edge." Mercy was now speaking with a little more confidence. He took a second to respond to her.

"Patrick and Joe may snap a couple of times but they will never do you any great harm, their threats are empty most of the time. Mercy, if Pete ever threatens to do anything to you I want you to shout for me. You need to be wary of him. I don't want to frighten you but if you make him angry he could really do some damage." Andy said in a hushed tone. She nodded her head slowly, taking in the information.

She heard footsteps coming down the corridor and kept her gaze on Andy. "Morning babycakes! I'm gonna go take a shower. Be a doll and make me some breakfast." Joe demanded, patting her shoulder as he passed to go to the bathroom. Fucking great.

As she stood up again, Andy tutted. "You don't have to do what he says. I'll make breakfast." He told her. 

As he approached Mercy at the fridge, she turned to face him and put a hand on his arm. "You go for your run. I can handle it." She answered before turning back to the fridge and gathering ingredients. She heard Andy get in the lift a few seconds later and leave the apartment. She wasn't going to try to escape and get Andy into trouble. 

Ten minutes later everything was almost ready. She had fried enough food for Patrick, Joe and Pete. As she heard Joe coming out of the shower, she put some bread in the toaster, taking some of the bacon and eggs and plating it up. Standing up for ages was killing her leg but she ignored the pain, focusing on making breakfast. 

Once the toaster popped she heard the bathroom door open. Joe had taken clothes in and was now fully dressed. He sat down at the table as Mercy buttered the toast. She carefully carried the plate over to where he was sat and gave it to him. "Thank you." He said, taking a bite of the toast. She went over to the coffee machine, pressing some buttons and waiting for the mug to fill.

She made Joe a regular latte with two sugars and set it down in front of him. His eyes seemed to follow her every move. His smiled widened when he saw Patrick coming down the corridor.

"Morning baby." Patrick grinned. He slid his arms around her waist slowly, humming as he hugged her tightly. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her flinch, so she stayed still.

When he let go, Mercy picked up another plate, putting the food onto it as she had done for Joe. When she laid it on the table Patrick looked at her strangely. "You made us breakfast?" He asked, suspiciously.

Joe laughed and answered so she didn't have to. "I asked her to before I went for a shower and the second I walk out of the bathroom it's on the table. Isn't it great?" Joe commented.

Mercy stepped away from them, grabbing yet another glass of water. If I'm drinking something, I have an excuse to not talk to them. As she went to sit on the sofas in the living room, Joe called her back over. "Hey, Pete is awake. He wants to speak to you so you should probably take his breakfast to him. He's to the right of your room." He instructed. Joe, you absolute twat. Mercy could feel the smile that he was wearing as he spoke, she didn't have to look. Quite frankly she didn't want to. 

Instead, she stormed back over, her eyes glaring at empty space as she refused to look at either of them. She quickly prepared the food for the third time, spinning around and striding towards his bedroom. She stopped at the white door, knocking gently three times. Her heart was pounding with a mix of fear and utter rage. 

"Come in." A voice called from the other side of the wall. Mercy pushed open the door, stepping into the room slowly. She saw a shirtless Pete sat up in bed, on his phone. He didn't notice her at first. She tried to put his breakfast on his bedside table without him noticing but as she turned her back to leave, she heard a condescending tone beckoning her. 

"Sugarcube, why weren't you here when I woke up this morning? Joe said you were sat in the lounge at 3 am. Is my bed not comfortable enough for you?" He asked, forcing her to turn to him. Mercy gave him a smile although she was pretty sure it was an unbelievable one that he would see through straight away. "No need to be nervous, darling." He commanded rather than comforted. 

She tried to relax her shoulders, taking deep breaths. "Your bed is lovely but I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. I didn't want to wake you with my tossing and turning." She explained calmly. 

Pete smiled, signalling for her to come closer. "You can toss and turn on to me any time you want sweetheart." He said, winking. Mercy tensed up.

"I made everyone breakfast and Joe said I should bring yours to you." She stuttered out, trying to change the subject, her eyes unable to look at him. His room was very similar to hers except the double bed and paintings that hung on the walls.

"Did you make any for yourself?" He enquired. She simply shook her head. "Come on, sit down. You can share mine." He offered, a smile playing softly on his lips. Mercy looked at the bed, trying to think of an excuse. 

Pete sighed audibly and patted the bed beside him. "Sit down, now." His voice was firmer. She quickly did as she was told, perching on the very edge of the bed. She felt Pete yank her backwards and her head landed on his chest. 

As his arm went around her, pulling her into a more upright position, he raised an eyebrow. "Better." He stated. Andy's words played on repeat in her head, a constant warning telling her to get out while she still could. Why did I tell Andy to go for a run?

Pete got some of the food on the fork and tried to feed it to her but she pushed his hand away. "I'm okay, thank you." She whispered, her voice disappearing. 

Pete dropped the fork altogether in annoyance, putting the plate on the side. His hand seemed to move from her waist to her hip. She couldn't help but tense this time. His gaze was burning into her skin, his body too close for comfort. "Have you got anything you would like to tell me Mercy? Anything you wanna confess?" He asked her, his mouth right by her ear. 

She looked down at her legs. "No." She said, her voice strong. She felt a slight chuckle vibrate from Pete's chest. Before she knew it, he had his knees either side of her hips.

She was laying down on her back now, Pete's fingers trailing through her hair. "Are you sure nothing happened last night while I was out, Mercy?" He persisted. 

Mercy felt like she couldn't breathe, Pete pressuring her to cave. She tried to look at the bedside table but he grabbed her chin forcefully and made her look him in the eye. "I'd like you to look at me when you answer." He ordered.

She stared at him, putting on a brave face. "No." She said again, her voice still certain. 

Pete then smiled, his eyes studying her body before falling on her face. "You liar!" He exclaimed almost gleefully, pulling her up onto his lap. She tried to struggle away quickly, realising he was going to do something but he was obviously stronger than she anticipated.

She took a deep breath, about to shout out in pain as he squeezed her waist in his arms. His hand covered her mouth and he hushed her softly. "Before you try to call for the others, I think you should know that it was Joe and Patrick that asked me to speak to you. I doubt they would rush to your aid. There's no point in shouting for help Mercy, we're on the top floor. No one can hear you scream but us." He informed her, his breath warming her neck as he spoke. 

She sunk in his grip, letting him hold her a little softer. "I specifically told you not to go to your room during the day and not only did you defy my rules, you also tried to run away. You're a guest in my apartment and you have to listen to me. Do you understand?" Pete said each word softly as if he was talking to an infant but Mercy could tell that the intent was to scare. 

Mercy nodded, feeling her chest tighten. Pete was now smiling again. "Now I have to punish you and I didn't want to have to do that on your second day here. Since you like being in your bedroom so much, for the next four nights it will be locked and only I will know where the key is. During the day you will stay where we can see you and during the night you will sleep in one of our bedrooms. No arguments." He finalized, taking great joy in watching her squirm in his arms.

Mercy was trying to find something to say to Pete when she heard the elevator open. Andy was back from his run. She reached up to take Pete's hand away from her mouth gently. "I'm very sorry." She whispered to him. 

Pete kissed her forehead, loosening his grip on her. "I know you are sweetheart, but I have to make sure you won't do it again." He confirmed, still holding her.

"When little girls do bad things, their daddies put them across their knee. Since I know that a stubborn young girl like yourself probably won't listen unless I give you a reason to, I should do the same with you." He said, wearing a small grin on his face. Mercy tried to get out of his grip once more, her heart rate soaring.

"Get off me. No, let go! You're fucking sick!" She shouted suddenly before his hand was firmly placed over her mouth again. 

"Mercy, what did I say? You have to follow my rules. You're a smart girl, it's not difficult to understand. The quicker you cooperate, the fewer times I hit you. Now, are you going to pull down your jeans or am I?" He asked. Mercy felt like her chest was going to explode.

He placed his free hand on the zipper, undoing it and pulling the jeans down. Pete looked at her underwear choice, smirking to himself. They were lacy and white, showing just enough of her ass to satisfy him. They practically screamed the words 'innocent virgin' at Pete. 

He pulled her over his knees, watching her face flood with discomfort as he held her down. Rubbing circles on her ass with his thumb, he sighed. "I want you to say the first word that pops into your head every time I hit you. For example, if it hurts just say the word hurt. It'll make you quieter and you won't disturb the others." He instructed her. 

She waited nervously for him to hit her. Part of her couldn't believe it was real. When the first slap came, she almost yelped in surprise. "Pain." She said loudly, hissing under her breath afterwards. 

He did it again, eyes watching as her body trembled in his firm grasp. "Stinging." She whispered, catching her breath. 

And again. "Please." Her voice begging him to leave her alone.

And again. "Stop." She hissed through gritted teeth. Pete frowned.

"Think a little bit harder about why I'm doing this to you. Think about what you've done when I hit you." He said, in an eerily calm tone of voice. 

The next time was slightly softer, but Mercy still whined. "Sorry." Her voice was music to Pete's ears. 

She repeated herself when his hand came into contact with her skin again, making Pete tut. "Can't say the same word twice sweetheart." He scolded. 

The next one made a loud noise but wasn't as firm as Mercy was expecting it to be. "Patrick." She said, knowing that he was the reason she was in trouble. Hearing her say Patrick's name while he was hitting her was annoying.

Pete hit her harder in anger, causing her to cry out loudly. "Pete." She almost screamed. He smiled, loving the sound of his name coming off her tongue in such a scenario. 

He got softer again, seeing that she was moments away from tears. Her skin was raw as he kept going. "You." She whispered. 

"Stop!" She cried out when his hand came down on her again. Pete angrily pulled off her underwear. She tried to sit up to stop him but she was firmly shoved back down. 

"I said no repeating yourself! Now it's going to hurt even more you stupid girl, you're just asking for me to hurt you." He shouted, making Mercy cling on to the bed covers as tight as she could. 

"Pete." She whimpered as he did it again, suddenly becoming filled with fear as she remembered that she'd already said that. "Wait, I'm sorry!" She cried, desperately.

To her surprise, Mercy heard him speak. "Again." He ordered. 

He hit her three more times as hard as he could, the young girl choking out his name each time but feeling utterly sick afterwards. She knew he was getting some kind of kick out of it. Her voice seemed to get smaller each time. 

Pete looked at her as she laid across him, her body still shaking slightly. He raised his hand and slapped her a final time. She didn't even make noise at that point. 

Mercy's face was pressed into the bed covers and her skin was red raw. Pete moved her head to the side gently to confirm his suspicions. She had fainted. It could have been due to how hard he was hitting her or it could have been psychological issues but he didn't care. He pulled her legs from his lap for a moment, getting something from his bedside drawers. 

Pete squeezed some sort of cream onto his hand and carefully rubbed it into the bad areas before putting her underwear back on for her. Once he was finished he pulled her up so that she was cradled in his arms. Pete made sure to hold her in a way that meant she wouldn't hurt her ass any more than he already had.

He noticed that her face was tear-stained which made him frown slightly. Every so often he would gently stroke her behind, feeling the heat of the skin to remind himself what he had done. He rocked her gently and stroked her hair until she began to come around. 

Her eyes flickered open, feeling the warmth of Pete surrounding her. She made a whimpering noise and he noticed that she had woken up.

"Shh. It's okay, it's all done now." He whispered in an attempt to stop her panicking further. She sunk her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes in discomfort. 

"The room is spinning." She replied weakly. A hand ran through her dishevelled hair carefully, making her unintentionally move her head into it. Pete saw this and moved his hand so that he was stroking her cheek. For some reason, he wanted to comfort her as much as possible.

"It will wear off soon darling. Are you feeling sick?" He asked, calmly rocking her still. She shook her head and Pete smiled a little. "Good." He replied, feeling Mercy sink further onto his shoulder with closed eyes.

"No Mercy, stay awake. I know it hurts but I'll let you rest for another minute or two and then we need to go speak to the others about your sleeping arrangements." He whispered. 

Mercy tensed at the mere thought of facing them. They're fucking psychos.


	6. Track 6 - Side 1: No Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I was looking for something to drown out the pain but with all the wrong answers it started again. I learned on that very day I just cannot keep running away from myself."

The blue-eyed teen sat up a minute later and Pete pulled her to her feet. He helped her pull up her jeans too, doing the zipper and button for her. He took her by the hand and led her into the corridor.

As they walked into the kitchen, three pairs of eyes looked at Pete. "Patrick, Mercy will be sleeping with you in your room tonight. Joe, she will be with you the night after and Andy, you will have her the following night. Mercy's bedroom will be locked for the next four nights." Pete said to everyone.

Patrick and Joe exchanged a glance and then smiled. "I think we can deal with that," Joe replied. Andy just looked at Mercy, a little worried.

"Hang on, why does she look like she's been crying?" Patrick asked Pete whilst leaning back on his chair as if Mercy wasn't in the room. Pete glanced back at her, frowning at the tears still lingering in her eyes.

"I had words about last night and then I taught her a lesson." He said simply. Joe smirked to Patrick and mouthed the words 'told you so' and then looked back at them.

"What does that mean exactly? Care to elaborate?" He said smugly. Pete took Mercy's hands and rubbed circles in her palm with his thumb like he thought it would make her ignore the utter humiliation he was about to put her through.

"I put her over my knee," Pete told them, not looking back at her. Patrick and Joe glanced at each other before bursting out in laughter. "Alright, can you two be a little more mature about this?" He ordered.

Joe turned to Patrick. "I wouldn't mind doing that to her. I know that sounds weird but I bet she has a tight little ass, you know. All perfect and toned, just waiting to be ruined." He speculated, looking over at her for only a second.

Patrick laughed in response. "Oh, she does. Yesterday she got changed in front of me because she was actually fucking dumb enough to believe that there was a rule that said she had to be seen by one of us at all times. Its perfect man, practically edible. You should see her lace underwear." He smirked, not breaking eye contact with Mercy, who was trying to stop tears from falling down her cheeks.

"I bet her pussy is even better," Joe said, making Patrick's smile widen. Andy glared over at the pair, who were still laughing.

"Guys, reel it in a little okay? She's learnt her lesson, don't you think that's enough?" Pete asked, standing there casually.

"Since you've had your fun with her, can't we?" Joe asked Pete, standing up and slowly walking towards Mercy. Pete just put his hands up and stepped away a little. Patrick followed, eyeing her up and down.

Joe walked behind her, grabbing her ass suddenly. Mercy flinched away quickly, pushing herself into the arms of Patrick who laughed. "Someone is a little eager." He whispered, running his hand to her hips.

She pulled herself away from both of them, almost tripping over Pete's feet as she backed into the kitchen. "Where are you going, baby? Pete's had all this fun with you and we haven't even got a look in yet." Joe said, following.

Andy cut in between them and her, a hand resting gently on her arm. "Shut up and back off." He shouted, pushing Joe away.

He strode forwards, getting so that he was face to face with Andy. "You got a problem, Hurley?" He asked, angrily.

"Yes, of course I fucking do. You're all humiliating a teenager and talking about her ass while trying to undress her with your eyes. You're all thinking about fucking an under-aged girl against her own will. She's 17, it's sick. And you Pete, you're just fucking condoning this sadistic shit." He shouted in response.

Andy and Joe began to argue but Mercy was stood away from it slightly. She could see Pete smiling and shaking his head while they argued. He caught her gaze suddenly, looking at her for a minute before tilting his head and giving her a half-smile that sent nausea through her body.

She ran off to the toilet, not closing the door behind her. Splashing cold water on her face, Mercy tried to stop herself from crying. Her eyes were tightly shut and her fists were clenched. The door clicked shut and locked, making her open her eyes and face the door.

Patrick stood watching her. "No please, keep crying. It's very entertaining." He muttered. She tried to move towards the door but he positioned himself so that she had no chance of getting around him. "That the best you've got?" He asked.

Mercy stepped away silently, still trying to hold in the tears. Patrick continued to smirk. "So theoretically if you were to have one of us fuck you, which one would it be?" He asked her, stepping closer.

"W-what?" She asked in shock, her hands shaking. He raised an eyebrow, placing his hands on her waist as he had done before.

"I think you heard me. I was just thinking, you know. My guess was that Pete was top of the list but then he's just slapped your ass god knows how many times, so I think he might have gone down. What about Andy? I bet you'd like that, he must be top now. I know you've thought about it, I can see it in your eyes. We both know it's inevitable." He explained to her.

Mercy thought she was going to be physically sick as he started to grab her waist a little firmer. "I'm gonna guess I'm the bottom of that list. That's okay though, I won't take it personally. I'm afraid you won't have much of a choice when it comes down to it. It's a shame too, but then again pretty girls like yourself look fucking hot even when they're crying." He whispered, too close for comfort.

She pushed him away feebly, not achieving anything. When he continued to touch her body, she slapped him sharply around the face. His face flooded with anger momentarily as he grabbed the hand that hit him. His other hand went around her neck, pinning her against a wall. He was applying pressure, but not enough to strangle her. She was having trouble breathing though. Her other hand started to try and pull his away from her throat but he was holding on tightly. His face got calmer before he spoke again.

"The thing is Mercy, when girls are rough during sex it's kinda hot. Mostly it's all playful and sexy. Even if they try to hurt the other person, it never really comes to anything. But when a guy does it, well that's just a different story. It's usually not sexy in the eyes of the girl because there is a real threat. When a guy is rough it's not playful, it's dangerous. They could really hurt the other person. I guess that's why couples have to trust each other before sex." He said, obviously hinting something.

She remained silent, looking at him in alarm and praying that he would let go. "What I'm trying to say here is that no one will even be able to tell that you slapped me in a few minutes. It will go unnoticed but I can see where I hit you last night. I know Joe pointed it out this morning. I have no idea what your neck is going to be like once I take my hand away and that perfect little ass of yours? Well, that won't be healed for days. If you don't start thinking through your actions before you do them, you're going to get badly hurt soon. I didn't want you to be brought here either and if you keep giving me grief, I can throw it right back in your face." His voice didn't even falter.

Mercy's breathing was becoming more and more difficult to harness by the second. Patrick took his hand away, watching her fall to her knees in a violent coughing fit. He smiled as he knelt down next to her. She was crying, trying to block out the fact he had placed a firm hand on her leg in a fake attempt to comfort her.

There was a knock on the door. "Patrick, I need to take Mercy back to bed. She's not slept very well, can you open up?" Pete said calmly from the other side of the door.

"One minute." He said, looking at Mercy as she stared back at him. "Did baby girl not get enough sleep last night? That's a shame. Look, since I know you won't have actually got the message from Pete hitting you, have you learnt your lesson now?" He asked her.

Mercy nodded immediately, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. She heard a hum of approval as he stood up slowly and then saw a hand outstretched to her. Mercy took it without even thinking, being pulled up into his arms.

He gave her a tissue, one of his arms hooked around her waist. "Sleep well, sweetheart." He whispered, kissing her cheek and shooting her a quick sideways glance before opening the door and leaving.

Pete looked at her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You obviously didn't get a lot of rest last night. Come and lay down in my bed." He whispered.

Mercy nodded, taking a last look at Andy who was sat in the living room, staring at her with concern before limping back to Pete's room. Even though he disgusted her, his bed looked very appealing and comfortable.

She laid down, feeling Pete next to her. "You handled that all so well. You're so brave, little one." He whispered to her quietly. Pete was careful not to touch her ass, wrapping his arms around her body as her eyes started to close.

Her body felt ill so she gave in willingly to sleep. "Good girl." He purred in her ear as she let her eyes shut fully and rested her head on Pete's shoulder. She blacked out completely within seconds.


	7. Track 7 - Side 1: Love is a Laserquest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And do you look into the mirror to remind yourself you're there or has somebody's goodnight kisses got that covered?"

She was laid on her side, facing away from Pete when she woke up an hour or so later. His hand rode up her top slightly, putting his arm around her bare waist and spooning her.

Pete was warm. Comfortably warm, like being sat by the fire in winter. As he pulled the covers over them both, she couldn't help but lean back onto him. Mercy didn't want Pete to be suspicious so she tried to maintain her previous sleeping position.

It honestly felt good to just be held by somebody. Mercy had become a pretty lonely person recently and, since the previous day, she had been miserable.

She felt Pete turn her around so that she had to face him. Despite fighting the urge react, she couldn't help the hitch in her breath as he pulled her body onto his. The apartment was quiet but there was a faint sound coming from the living room which Mercy assumed was the television.

Pete's hands continued to run over her skin, making her squirm unintentionally. He shook her shoulders gently, trying to wake her. "Mercy. Wake up, honeybunch." He said into her ear, his voice almost a mocking musical tone. His lips brushed against her cheek softly as he spoke.

She opened her eyes slowly, her gaze falling instantly on his chest. Mercy then diverted her gaze, looking directly at Pete's face, forcing a smile. "What's wrong Pete?" She enquired in a sweet tone, biting her lip slightly. Apart from the fact that you're holding me worryingly close to your shirtless body, obviously.

"You seemed unsettled. I thought you might be having a nightmare or something." He replied, not taking his eyes off hers. Pretty sure I was having one, the only problem is when I opened my eyes, it didn't seem to end.

She noticed that he had tattoos scattered across his chest, the ink imprinted on his toned body. "I'm sure it was nothing." Mercy replied, closing her eyes once again, trying to forget about Pete and his close proximity.

They both jumped violently when the door was slammed open to reveal an irritated Joe, hands on his hips.

"Fucking goddamnit Pete! Turn your attention away from the teenage bitch for two minutes and clean your room. Also, put your fucking dirty plates in the dishwasher you pig." Joe slammed the door behind him with a huff.

Pete began to snicker under his breath as he pushed Mercy away and stood "Joe gets like a girl on her period when the apartment isn't clean, so unless you want your eyes scratched out with a spoon, better get tidying,"

"Do you wanna start tidying the room and I'll put the plates in the dishwasher?" the brunette tried, rising gingerly to her feet to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on her injured ankle.

"Mm, how about I go watch T.V and you tidy up?" He drawled, stretching and beginning to walk towards the bedroom door. The brunette froze with shock.

"Are you serious?" She gasped incredulously, staring at him as he opened the bedroom door and turned to look at her blankly.

"Yep," He drew out the word slowly and popped the 'p' before walking out of the room.

The blue-eyed girl was frozen in disbelief, what a fucking douche. She was pretty sure if she didn't get at least some tidying done, there would be some kind of punishment in store for her. She slowly and painfully began to pick clothes up from off the floor and tidied the bedsheets with uniform neatness.

She stared thoughtfully at the underwear thrown haphazardly across the carpeted floors, completely unwilling to check if they were clean or not. Fucking men.

A slow smile spread across her lips as she thought about where they should be put. The devil is in the detail.

++

Mercy was sat on the couch in the front room with her feet on the footstool. Yells suddenly pierced the quiet air in the apartment, Joe and Patrick's voices ricocheting off the walls. Pete had his arm around Mercy, leaning close to her. "Mama bear is angry. Somebody hasn't cleaned their room." He said smugly.

Mercy smiled to herself, nodding in agreement. "Certainly looks that way doesn't it?" she replied, trying to seem uninvested in whatever he was saying.

As Joe and Patrick stormed out, carrying a pile of dark fabrics, she stifled a laugh. Joe looked at Pete angrily. "Why was your underwear under Patrick's pillow?" He asked in a condescending tone.

As Pete's eyes widened in disbelief, his head turned from Mercy to Joe. "What?" He asked, confused.

"Yeah and believe it or not, throwing all your clothes under your bed does not count as tidying up. Also, the lube in your drawer has spilt and I am not cleaning that up for you man, you are on your own." Joe said, angry with Pete.

As Pete's eyes widened in disbelief, his head turning to face Mercy. "Well, it's not my fault! I didn't even-" He stopped shouting halfway through his sentence.

Joe's eyebrows raised. "Didn't what Pete?" He questioned.

Pete looked down at the floor timidly. "Didn't even put them there." He mumbled. Joe sighed, pushing past Patrick and going to clean up more stuff.

Andy came over and laughed in Pete's face. "Wow. That was a beautiful save." He uttered sarcastically. Mercy had to stop herself from laughing with him.

"You were meant to clean my room!" Pete shouted suddenly to her. She jumped and looked around at him cautiously.

"I don't know where your underwear goes. Sorry, I just kind of hid them. Same with your clothes." She murmured to him.

"Brilliant. What about the lube, was that you as well?" He asked

Patrick strolled towards the couch, shaking his head and smiling. "Well, I know which side of the bed you're sleeping on tonight baby." He announced.

She couldn't help but cringe slightly at the thought before replying. "No way." She retaliated. Pete tutted from her side, staring at her with a knowing look.

"Argue with anyone and it'll be another four nights." He threatened arm draped around her shoulders loosely. She shrugged away from him, standing up and limping away.

"Fucking unbelievable." She muttered, approaching the kitchen island and leaning on it. A snigger could be clearly heard from the sofas. Immature twats.

"Are you gonna let her talk to you like that Pete?" Patrick asked, obviously trying to get him to enforce another punishment.

"For now. Just you wait until your night in my room Mercy, you won't say shit after that." He threatened, not even bothering to look her way.

Mercy opened the fridge to find that it had been restocked with food and a fuck load of beer. She rolled her eyes slightly, picking up the lemonade and closing the door softly.

Joe sauntered into the kitchen, his eyes falling on Mercy as she tried to locate the glasses. He walked to a cupboard a metre away from where she had been stood and pulled one out, placing it before her. "There you go babycakes."

She sighed and thanked him reluctantly. Her body was tense due to his presence. Joe couldn't help but smile as she poured herself a drink. "Problem?" He asked her, leaning against the fridge. Mercy shook her head, mentally telling herself to stay silent. She knew that speaking out was not the best idea, regardless of how much she hated his nickname for her.

"I never thanked you," Joe said, watching her take a sip from the glass. Mercy looked up in confusion, glancing briefly over Joe's shoulder towards the others.

"What for?" She questioned quietly, stepping towards Joe tentatively. He smiled, looking in the same direction as her before turning back.

"For cleaning that idiot's room. Despite the underwear in Patrick's room and the lube in the drawer, it's cleaner than it's been for a while. I know it was you. You really think that man has folded anything in his life?" Joe pointed out, laughing to himself.

Mercy joined in quietly, trying to avoid Pete noticing. "Yeah, thought you might realize." She replied, looking back at him.

Joe was pacing around the kitchen, looking for something. He continued to speak to Mercy. "What is your accent sweetheart? I don't recognise it. It's been bugging me since I met you." She heard him ask from the other side of the kitchen.

She paused, slightly thrown by an attempt of actually getting to know her and the slight rudeness. "Half Italian. Half English. My father was born in Rome, Italy and my mother was born in Oxford, England. They both moved to New York when they were in their twenties and I was born in New Jersey so there might be some American in there somewhere. I can try and speak differently if it's annoying you." She explained, studying his movements carefully.

Joe smiled back at her. "No darling, I didn't mean your accent was bugging me. I meant it was annoying me that I didn't know what it was. I actually like it. Can you say something in Italian?" He ordered, smirking slightly. Yeah because I can fucking totally speak fluent Italian.

"Famiglia viene prima." Mercy spoke absent-mindedly, reciting one of the only Italian phrases she knew. Joe seemed pretty impressed with how fluent she sounded.

He didn't ask what it meant, which she was thankful for. It was her grandfather's motto for their family. It translated to 'family comes first'. Joe would have probably made a snide comment about that. When Mercy was growing up she would visit Italy with her father every spring, sometimes during fall too.

She had loved her grandfather to pieces, his armchair in the corner of the room and the way he always smelt of peppermint and tobacco.

Her mother's family had always been tight-knit as well. She had visited England for Christmas every year and they had always loved to watch Mercy and her father sing an Italian lullaby to each other.

Mercy thought about her family for a minute or two, ignoring the stare from Joe. She started to move away but she forgot about her injury, hissing in pain.

Joe noticed when she seemed to wince, putting pressure on her foot. He shook his head slightly, getting something from a cupboard. "Your ankle is still pretty bad, huh? Here, let me help you." He said, going back to stand beside Mercy.

He put his arms around her, lifting her onto the countertop. He then rolled up her jeans, wrapping a bandage around her ankle.

"This may seem stupid in theory because your ankle isn't bleeding or anything but I promise that if I wrap it tight enough, you won't be able to feel a thing in a few days." He told her, pulling it so it was firmly wrapped around her leg.

"Because my circulation will be cut?" She asked, wondering if he knew what he was doing.

"No, of course not." He replied, almost laughing. "You've sprained it. I've done it before on tour and wrapping it up tight just makes the bones and stuff stay in their normal positions so it heals quicker."

Mercy sipped her lemonade, watching as he fixed the bandage with tape and a safety pin. "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?" The question slipped out sarcastically and she regretted it instantly.

Joe just seemed to smile again, pulling her off the counter gently. "You did something for me, I do something for you. That's how it works. Anyway, did you think we were actually being serious earlier? We were just seeing how far we could push you. It didn't mean anything." He told her.

Mercy looked at him in confusion, causing him to return the favour. "Let me guess, Patrick said some fucked up shit to you in the bathroom and that's why you're suddenly tiptoeing around everyone in the apartment?" He asked her calmly. She nodded, watching him shake his head slowly. "We're not psychopaths sweetheart, some of us do actually have morals." He said, focusing on the word some.

Mercy still couldn't relax, knowing that he could be tricking her into trusting him. The things he had been saying that morning had been horrific, she doubted anyone would actually say that as a joke. "Patrick!" Joe shouted over to him casually. He looked over at the two of them in the kitchen.

"What?" He shouted back, looking between Mercy and Joe smiling.

"You're an asshole!" Joe shouted back, still smiling. Patrick's glance focused on Mercy for a second, looking a little intimidating but switching to Joe and smiling before anyone else noticed.

"Thanks Joe, I love you too." He joked, eyes burning into the back of Mercy as she walked out of the kitchen slowly.

Mercy noticed the improvement of her leg. "Hey, wait," Joe shouted to her as she entered the small corridor. Mercy turned slightly to face him and he threw an apple into her hands.

"Eat something, keep your energy up." He said, walking into the living room. Mercy glanced down at the apple in her hands, taking a moment before biting it.

She strode off to sit by the elevator, her back leaning on the wall. The sun was blaring into the apartment and the sky was strangely clear for winter.

She took another bite of the apple, the juice running down her chin slightly. Using her sleeve, she wiped the juice from her face and noted the sweetness of the apple. Once she had finished it she threw it in the trash, still feeling the familiar stickiness of the juice on her hands.


	8. Track 8 - Side 1: Youth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My eyes are damp from the words you left ringing in my head when you broke my chest."

Mercy could see the guys sat in the living room, just out of the corner of her eye. They were drinking despite the fact it was still morning. Typical males.

They didn't seem to notice as she slowly slipped into Patrick's room and approached the bed. At the far side of the room, there was the pile of bags that Pete had been carrying the day before.   
Her curiosity got the best of her and she walked over, looking inside one of them. She saw her clothes. Not all of them but some. Enough to get along. He's been in my apartment?

Her hands shot to her pockets and then she remembered that she had taken her own trousers off the previous night. Her pockets had been empty anyway, which meant they already had her keys, phone and wallet. Fuck this.

Her head fell into her hands, overtaken with newfound resentment.

Inside the bags, there was none of her comfortable clothing. No jumpers, sweatpants, leggings or even long-sleeved tops. They pretty much made up her entire day to day wardrobe. Pete had decided to bring everything else. The things she put in her publicity wardrobe for when she had to go out with her parents and face photographers.

She emptied them out and was surrounded by tight pencil skirts, low cut tank tops, booty shorts that she'd worn once and then swore never to wear again. Even a summer dress. It's winter, why the fuck do I need a white, cotton summer dress?

She put all the clothing back, disgusted with his choices. Of all her wardrobe, he had focused on the shortest and tightest items of clothing. Pervert.

She searched Patrick's room quietly and found nothing of much interest. In one of his drawers, she found paper and pencils which she pulled out.

There was a window in Patrick's room, so she sat by the window ledge and looked out. The skyline continued to amaze Mercy.

She set to work sketching it out, drawing the outline first and then filling in the details. Patrick's alarm clock told her that it was way past lunchtime when she was only half-finished.

The pencil kept moving across the page, her hand beginning to feel numb as she continued to sketch. Mercy had always loved music but she had never been any good with instruments. Sketching was her way of getting her emotion out as she was normally very isolated.

She had just turned 16 when she had decided to move out. Living in a house where she saw the maids more than her own family wasn't the kind of thing she wanted to do for a second longer than she had to.

She saved up money that she earned and started renting a room near The Steam Lounge. There were two guys and a girl living in an apartment with her. Ryan and Chloe, who were dating and a guy named Daniel who was constantly asking her if she wanted to go out for dinner. He was nice enough but she wasn't interested in dating. She'd lived there for just under two years now and had managed to make friends at the numerous parties Dan threw every other week. Mercy had met her best friends Molly, Lexi and Rob at the very first one he threw while she was there to celebrate her moving in. She missed them all so much. They probably didn't even know she was missing yet.

Her pencil stopped moving on the page. She'd finally finished the skyline. Once she had signed her name in the corner like she always did and set it down on the bedside table.

There was a thud that came from the living room followed by a loud cheering sound. Are they drunk already? Mercy checked the clock, seeing that it was 3:47.

She stood up suddenly, deciding to go check on them. She no longer noticed the pain in her foot and she could walk without a limp.

As she slowly paced from the bedroom, she could hear loud arguing. "Why are you so protective, it's not like she gives a shit!" Patrick shouted furiously from one side of the living room.

"I don't want you hurting or fucking her, is that too much to ask?" She heard one of the others say.

Mercy quickly ducked behind the wall, listening carefully. "Andy she deserves this. You know what she did, you said you hated her!" Pete argued in a harsh tone.

"I never said I wanted this. She is 17 and she doesn't deserve this. She hasn't hurt us in the way you're all hurting her." Andy shouted in response.

"Andy stop being so fucking-" Someone began to scream but Mercy stormed around the corner.

"Stop it!" She shouted without thinking.

Andy, Pete and Patrick turned to look at her. "Mercy, go back to Patrick's room right now," Andy said firmly, pushing her away from the others.

Patrick smiled, ambling towards her. "No baby, stay here. You'll miss all the fun." He whispered to her, pulling her close to him.

Pete took her out of his arms and pushed her in front of Andy. "This is what you want to protect? Her parents are millionaires and she has lived in a house we couldn't afford if we all saved for ten years. You know what her life is like, we've been to that house. This is a stupid, selfish, spoilt little girl who has just ruined our whole careers. Everything we worked for is gone! We have no label, barely any supporters left and now, thanks to this little bitch, we have no future." He stated, looking furious.

Andy shook his head. "Pete, you and Patrick are drunk. Please just stop and we can talk in the morning." Andy pleaded.

"I didn't do anything." Mercy argued timidly. Patrick grabbed her shoulders and pushed her to the wall.

"We all know that's a lie Mercy, don't play games with us." He said abruptly. Mercy gasped and cowered away in his grip.

"Please, I didn't do anything. Just let me go." She whispered. Pete snarled at her, standing at her side. There was a cabinet on the other side of her, so she was cornered.

Pete held a magazine in his hand, she was pretty sure it was Rolling Stone. He looked down and began to read.

This week the pop-punk four-piece Fall Out Boy from Chicago, Illinois was dropped from Mercy records before they were even signed. The band were reviewed as being the labels 'next big thing', after the success with rival band Nostalgia, and quit their old label Innocence two weeks ago." Pete said, glancing up at Mercy for a second. She shook in Patrick's arms.

"Please, I haven't got anything against any of you." She whispered, barely managing to get the words out.

"In a direct statement from one of the CEO's of Mercy records, Mary De Luca said 'We named our label after our daughter for a reason. We always ask her what she thinks of possible new bands to sign up. She called us and said she didn't think Fall Out Boy had potential and that they would only cause problems with the guys from Nostalgia. We have our existing bands best interests at heart, so we had to let them go.' Although Fall Out Boy has given no comment as of yet, industry heads say it's going to take a lot to bounce back from that devastating blow." Pete finished, throwing the magazine down and causing her to flinch.

Mercy violently shook her head. "I-I never said any of that, I swear." She stuttered, looking at Pete with tears brimming in her eyes.

Pete rolled his eyes. "Bullshit. I've read that you're pretty much best friends with the lead singer of Nostalgia. You probably my did it because you've got a massive crush on him or something fucking childish like that." He muttered, letting Patrick stand aside so he could push her from the wall.   
She stumbled slightly, keeping eye contact with Pete as she tried to slowly move away from him.

"Please, I just want to go home." She begged, her chest rattled with sobs.

Pete lunged forward and pushed her shoulders again roughly. "Come on you bitch, just admit it. This is getting old." He screamed through the apartment.

As Mercy looked over at Andy for support and saw him beginning to walk away, Pete pushed her a final time. She tripped over her own foot and fell, hitting her head on the hardwood coffee table. Mercy's head swam as she closed her eyes. She could hear Pete and Patrick asking if she was unconscious and she really wished that she was.

When Mercy tried to move she found that she was unable to. Inside she trembled with fear but she was completely still. Her breathing was slow and unsteady, which made her head spin.

A hand touched her neck, lifting up her head and inspecting it. "She'll bruise pretty bad, maybe a black eye, but nothing major," Pete said, lingering over her.

Patrick was watching from the sofa. "Are you sure. She could have damaged her neck or something. Shouldn't we call-" Patrick began to speak before Pete shouted at him.

"Are you crazy? We can't call anyone. If she gets contact with someone other than us she could get them to call the police, then we're on a fast track to jail. Is that what you want?" Pete questioned.

Patrick sighed, putting his head in his hands. "No. I just want to know that she's okay. Isn't there a way to get her to stay asleep while someone checks her over? Like a pill or chloroform, I don't know. My dad could do it for us." Patrick rambled, his eyes scanning Mercy relentlessly.

"You think people won't be looking for her? Its Mercy De fucking Luca! Once people realise she's missing her parents are gonna pay a fortune to people who find her. Your dad would not keep his mouth shut if he knew you'd helped kidnap a teenage girl. We're just asking to be ratted out. Think before you speak." Pete snapped at him.

The sight of Mercy on the floor had sobered Patrick up completely. Pete stood up slowly, stepping over her and going to the kitchen to get another beer.

"Shouldn't we move her to a bed?" Patrick asked quietly. Pete shrugged in response and smirked.

"You do it." He replied, retreating back to his room. Patrick looked down at her, standing up and placing her arms under her body.

Mercy was still awake, listening to Patrick mumble to himself. He lifted her, one of his hands supporting her neck. She couldn't help but whimper in pain as she was moved to the sofa. She must have got some kind of whiplash due to the way she'd hit the table.

"It's alright, you're okay Mercy." Patrick whispered as he pulled his arms from her. He put an extra cushion below her head to support her neck.

She felt hands touching her neck. They were soft and there was caution when he checked her for injuries.

The next few minutes were torture for Mercy. Her neck was agonizingly painful but she forced herself to stay quiet so Patrick wouldn't know she was awake.

Footsteps echoed in the room as Joe strolled in, gazing at Patrick curiously. "I put my headphones in for an hour and suddenly everyone disappears. What happened to her?" He inquired, standing over Mercy.

Patrick didn't want to lie to Joe, but he knew that he would get angry at Pete if he knew that they had seriously hurt her again. Joe had been angry enough when they had run her over on one of the back streets.

"She tripped over when she was coming into the lounge and hit her head on the table. She's fine, just sleeping." He told Joe, looking at Mercy while he spoke. Joe shrugged and left them in peace.


	9. Track 9 - Side 1: Empty Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Taking back an empty threat, more than you could ever know. Take it back with no regrets. I was better off when I was on your side and I was holding on."

The feeling in Mercy's head refused to subside, making her almost nauseous. Mercy heard Patrick step away from her and go to the kitchen. After the sound of a few cabinet doors opening and closing, there was a comforting silence. She assumed that he had left but still waited a few minutes before opening her eyes just in case.

Patrick was sat on the floor directly in front of her but, before she could close her eyes again, he was staring directly at her. They kept eye contact for a moment before either of them spoke.

"Hey sweetheart." Patrick's voice echoed through her ears. She cowered away from him, gasping as one of his hands rested on her knee. Mercy had enough experience of Patrick on his own and what she'd seen, she didn't like.

"Please don't hurt me." Mercy whispered, her voice much quieter than she had anticipated. Her eyes were wide and she was attempting to sit up but soon found that she couldn't. She hissed in pain and Patrick placed a hand on her shoulder, pressing her sharply back down onto the sofa.

"Relax. You've hurt your neck and if you move you're only going to make it worse." He reminded her, stroking her collarbone with his thumb. She tried to push his hand away but his fingernails gripped into her skin.

"Patrick, please don't-" She pleaded with him to leave her alone. He frowned, entwining her fingers in his and holding tightly.

"Don't move." He said firmly. Mercy let her body relax onto the sofa and Patrick smiled to himself slightly. "Good girl. Do you remember what happened?" He asked her. Mercy wasn't sure how to approach the question, not wanting to aggravate him when he was calm.

"I came in here and then it's all fuzzy. I just remember you and Pete stood up. I think Andy was here too." She lied, pretending to think about it. Patrick looked convinced so she relaxed.

"You fell over and hit your head on the coffee table. I think you tripped over your own feet or something." He explained. Bullshit.

"Yeah, sounds like something I'd do." She responded, trying to sound like she'd been convinced by his lie.

"How's your head?" He asked, sitting up straighter. Mercy winced, looking upwards for a moment. She wasn't sure how much longer she could put up with it for.

"Better than my neck." She commented before trying to move. She let out a shriek and Patrick jumped, his eyes widening.

"What do you need?" He asked calmly. Mercy's face was twisted with pain, her eyes tightly closed.

"Painkillers. Please get me some painkillers." She hissed. Patrick walked over to the kitchen to get a glass of water and the tablets. When he came back, she struggled to sit up. Patrick pushed the glass into one of her hands and popped the pills into the other. She hesitated, staring at the pills she was holding.

"Can I see the box." She whispered, looking over at him. Patrick looked confused for a moment before realising what she wanted to look at.

"I'm trying to look after you Mercy. Can you just try to not be such a massive bitch for five minutes?" He asked outraged. She sighed to herself, still in unbearable pain.

"Please just show me the box, you could be giving me anything." She said bitterly. Patrick looked her up and down.

"I'm helping you out and you still don't trust me." He said to her accusingly. Mercy was full of anger, the adrenaline from the injury had filled her with some kind of confidence.

"I know you're trying to help me but no, I don't trust you. I rarely trust anyone but I think I'd have to be clinically insane to trust you after what you've done to me. Now please just show me the fucking pills before I pass out." She shouted, eyes tightly shut as she winced.

Patrick was strangely surprised by her sudden outburst, almost smiling before he caught himself and stopped. He handed her the boxes, standing up and walking away slowly. Mercy took the pills and put the glass down, hearing Patrick's exasperated sigh from the kitchen.

Patrick refused to be angry with her now. Inside he knew that she had every right to shout and scream but she wasn't doing that. She was just annoyed and scared. He didn't blame her to be honest, especially after his earlier speech.

"Just try to tone down the sarcastic asshole thing you've got going on. I don't like you as it is, but it's worse when you're being cocky." He muttered to her. She stifled a laugh.

"You're not exactly my favourite person either mate." She replied, her voice still intentionally thick with sarcasm.

She stood up and Patrick noticed immediately as she strode towards him. "Go lay back down. If you've not slept then you need to. When your family finds that you're missing the police might start looking towards us. If Pete wants to move, he'll do it regardless of what condition you're in. He won't care if you're injured. It's in your best interests to make sure you're better." He said, not looking over at her. Mercy laughed, shaking her head.

"You make it sound like you care Patrick." She said, standing a few footsteps away from him. He finally turned to face her, looking on in anger. Mercy kept on smiling, meeting his eyes. He had let himself look so vulnerable, he probably hadn't even noticed.

"I'll try not to make that mistake again." He muttered, studying her as she came and stood beside him. Nice cover-up Patrick. Mercy could see that he'd let a side of him slip that he hadn't meant to.

"I wouldn't be worried anyway. No one will notice I'm gone for a few weeks at least." She commented. It was Patrick's turn to smile now as he thought about what she was saying.

"You're very calm all of a sudden, why the change of heart Mercedes? You are speaking as if you want to stay here." He pointed out, stepping closer. Mercy tilted her head, trying to keep up her confident attitude.

"It's not like I've got any chance of escaping. There's four of you against me and there are no usable exits. What's the point in speaking as if I'm going to be back home tomorrow? It would be impossible for me to escape." She said, waiting to see his response.

Patrick reached towards Mercy's face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She wasn't expecting such a strange move from him, feeling slightly confused. "Yes, it would be. Maybe you should remember that the next time you feel like trying." He said, watching as she looked down at the floor and lost all of her confidence again. His face softened before he spoke again. "Your parents are control freaks. They'll be looking for you already if you've not come home after two days. You think too little of yourself. Of course they will be looking for their only daughter." He said, leading her back to the sofa.

Mercy looked at Patrick, stopping in her own tracks. How are they not grasping this? She knew they knew her parents and had been to her house so she didn't understand how they hadn't noticed her absence.

"Don't you get it? I don't talk to them, I never see them. I haven't spoken to my mother in almost two months. Pete's been to my apartment, you know I don't live with them. I work in a coffee shop Patrick, why would the daughter of two millionaires ever work in a coffee shop?" She pointed out.

Patrick stared at her for a minute. There was complete silence in the apartment. "You're lying again." He said, refusing to believe her.

She sat down on the sofa, yawning. "Listen, I don't care if you think I'm telling the truth. My head is pounding and I've just taken codeine which makes me super drowsy. I'm about to pass out." She mumbled, laying down and trying to not make her neck worse.

He left her for ten minutes, going to tidy up his room a little more before he stepped back into the living room. Mercy was standing over at the window, staring out blankly.

"Thought you were going to sleep." He uttered, walking towards her. When she turned, he saw the small smile playing on her lips. Her eyes looked like she could fall asleep at any second but she also sort of looked wide awake.

"Hey." She said quietly, before giggling slightly. He smiled in response. Pain meds. Of course. Her pupils were dilated, showing that they had obviously kicked in and made her confused. He could tell she was at the point where she would laugh at everything and not realise what she was doing.

"Hey baby, you feeling any better?" He asked, using his finger to stroke her cheek gently. Her gaze was on the floor and she was biting her lip, but she did glance up at him momentarily.

"Yeah." She said simply, blushing with a smile still on her face. Patrick then walked away from her, watching discreetly as her eyes followed him. He sat down on the sofa and saw that she pouted to herself.

Casually, he turned to look at her again. "Is something wrong Mercy?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned. She shook her head, looking down in embarrassment.

Patrick was relishing that fact that she was obviously craving his attention suddenly. After a minute of pretending to look at his phone, he glanced back over and saw her still awkwardly stood there.

"Why don't you come to sit down with me baby?" He asked, smiling as she quickly sat down on the sofa next to him. He shook his head suddenly. "Oh no, I meant on my knee." He corrected, wondering if she would actually go that far.

She did, much to his surprise. As she basically straddled him, he smiled widely and put his arms around her waist to pull her closer. "That's better, isn't it?" He asked, feeling smug. A noise of agreement came from the younger girl as she rested her head on his shoulder sleepily. Patrick put a cautious hand on her thigh, moving it upwards slowly as he felt her relax onto him.

He was being such a douchebag, but then again he didn't care. He'd found a way to get the girl everyone hated to be like putty in his hands and he was enjoying it way too much.

"Some guys are being horrible to me. One of them pushed me and I hurt my head." She slurred, as Patrick's hands started to reach around to touch her ass. She looked at him warily. "You're not one of the bad guys are you?" She asked.

He loosened his grip on her legs, touching her face gently with his fingertips. "Of course I'm not, silly. Why would I want to hurt a pretty little thing like you?" He asked, smiling. She giggled again, leaning onto him.

Her head was resting on Patrick's shoulder and her body was pressed onto his. God, he felt fucking dirty but he didn't care, his hands holding her petite figure.

"Patrick, why won't they listen to me?" She asked suddenly, in nothing more than a whisper. Patrick stopped again suddenly, feeling a little bit bad for what he was doing.

"What do you mean?" He asked her, rubbing her waist softly. She sat up and looked at him again.

"They hurt me because they said I was lying. One of them was scaring me earlier and now my head feels all dizzy and my neck hurts and I can't remember how it happened. They still don't believe me and I don't know what to do." She said sadly, her eyes staring back into Patrick's. He pulled her head back onto his shoulder.

"Are you telling the truth?" He asked casually, trying to seem as if he wasn't the person she was afraid of. Mercy nodded, sitting silently for a minute. Patrick knew she couldn't lie, not when she was drugged. "Well, they were angry with you. Did you do the thing that they are angry with you about?" He asked. Mercy shook her head again, pressing her face into the crook of his neck.

"No. They think I've said something to my mum but I haven't spoken to her in ages. I can't even remember our last conversation." She mumbled, not realising that she was basically being interrogated.

Patrick stayed silent, not trying to push the subject any further. He felt a little at ease with her, but still wasn't fully convinced. "Hey baby, don't be sad. Why don't we just sit here and cuddle until you feel better?" He asked in a whisper.

Mercy's arms went around him quickly. It felt good, the way she was pressing her body against him.

"God, when you come to your senses you are gonna hate me." He mumbled to her, just out of earshot. Her blue eyes stared back at him.

"I like you, Patrick. You're cute." She said quietly, while she continued to press herself against him.

He held back a small laugh. "Thank you, sweetheart. I think you're pretty cute too." He replied, gently rubbing her back and feeling her relax.

Before he could say anything, she sat up quickly, looking a little confused. "Patrick, my head really hurts. I think I'm gonna-" She mumbled the first half of the sentence almost incoherently before her eyes closed and she fell sideways.

Patrick's eyes widened as he barely caught her, pulling her up to his shoulder. "Oh god. Mercy, fuck I'm sorry. Wake up." He shouted, trying to get her to communicate with him. Patrick was getting nothing from her, not even a wince or whimper as he shook her.

Patrick put his arms under her body once he summoned the courage to do so and lifted her. Mercy's eyes opened slightly then, peering up at him with an utterly confused expression. "What are you doing?" She asked, taking a deep breath as the pain in her neck was increasing. Patrick noticed that she was a little bit more normal than she had been before.

"Carrying you to bed. Just stay calm and go to sleep, you are going to need it." He said, carefully easing her onto his mattress. He pulled the covers over her and glanced over at the bedside table.

The picture that Mercy had drawn of the skyline lay on the top. "Did you do that?" He asked, getting her attention. Mercy nodded, shutting her eyes slowly. She couldn't keep them open any longer.

"It's good." Patrick complimented before he noticed that she was falling asleep. He smiled to himself, looking down at her. "I'll wake you up for dinner in a couple of hours. If you need anything just give me a shout." He instructed, leaving the room.

Mercy drifted off quickly, her head sinking into the pillow and her body being drowned in the sheets.


	10. Track 10 - Side 1: Cherry Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Her eyes and words are so icy, oh but she burns like rum on the fire."

Patrick stumbled quickly back into the front room, sitting down on the sofa. As Pete walked back into the living room, Patrick realised that he didn't want to be in the apartment anymore.

It was easier when he didn't know the truth but now that he did, he felt unbelievably guilty. He had slapped her and almost strangled her. She hated him. Now, if anyone saw him being nice to her they'd want to know why.

Having already heard Pete's reaction to Andy trying to convince him that Mercy didn't deserve what they were doing, he didn't even want to try. He came to the decision that he would have to act like he hadn't found out about Mercy and treat her like he was doing the day before.

"Where is she?" Pete asked, looking for her. Patrick pointed to his room absentmindedly, pretending to look at his phone to avoid any awkward conversation. "Did she wake up?" He questioned.

Patrick nodded. "Yeah. She had pain in her neck so I gave her some codeine and now she's sleeping again." He told him, looking briefly to grasp his reaction. Patrick wasn't sure whether Pete would have wanted him to give her any pills.

Pete smiled widely. "Good, I kinda like that girl. She's plucky. Reminds me of you." Pete replied from beside the fridge.

Patrick gazed over at Pete. "Plucky? Is that how you'd describe me?" He asked feeling more relaxed, laughing slightly.

Pete walked back over with two beers in hand. "Well it's not the first thing I'd say but I think you both just have the same vibe about you. Is that a weird thing to say?" He questioned, handing Patrick one of the beers. He shook his head in response, sensing a decrease in his resentment for Mercy.

Pete turned on the news, it was all anyone in the apartment seemed to watch these days. Headlines flashed on the screen, but nothing of great interest.

Patrick was on his phone, searching MTV news for something to cure his boredom. His eyes flicked across headlines that meant nothing to him. After a moment of staring at the words on the screen, one of the headlines caught his eye.

'Joey Lambert, lead singer in five-piece rock band Nostalgia talks new album, drama with Fall Out Boy and his feelings towards a certain someone.' He scanned. The article seemed gossip like which didn't interest Patrick in the slightest.

It wasn't even the fact they mentioned Fall Out Boy. His gaze fell on a name. Mercedes. Patrick frowned to himself, reading the paragraph.

'I guess my sights have always been firmly set on my music. It's my life, I live and breathe it. I love it.' Patrick paused. Pretentious, stereotypical answer.

'The fact is, I've spent so much time at the label headquarters over the years. For a while, I think I actually slept there too. I always used to see this girl around there, normally just sat by herself with headphones in. Keeping away from most people. Baring in mind this was about two years ago. I had just turned 16 and it took all the confidence I had to speak to her but she told me her name was Mercedes and we hit it off straight away. She was only a couple of months younger than me and we just clicked, you know? I used to play our tracks to her and she gave me like a shitload of critique over what I had done. At first, I thought she was being horrible but then I started to change things in the way she had suggested and it just all fit. Our music was getting to the point we wanted it to be at. She leaves one day and a guy in the studio says to me "Mercy hasn't come into one of my studios before." and it took me a minute to realise that I'd been hanging with Mercy De Luca the entire time. She'd always been hidden from media by her parents so no one knew her very well and I was just a kid who hadn't even finished his debut album yet. I felt so starstruck.'

Patrick sighed to himself. Maybe if she was friends with Joey then she had said those things to her parents. He didn't know what to think anymore. She could be playing him, or she could genuinely be telling the truth which would make him a sick asshole who had assaulted her twice.

He shut off his phone, putting it back in his pocket. "Something's wrong. What is it?" Pete said from his side.

Patrick turned to him and shrugged. "Its nothing. Just some girl, it doesn't matter." He said, trying to get off the topic.

"It's not her, is it? You really don't need to worry there. We'll break her in no time, it'll be like snapping a twig. Seriously dude if-" Pete started but Patrick cut him off.

"It's not her. Don't worry yourself." He replied, not wanting to hear Pete describe all the ways they could abuse a girl who was growing more and more innocent and helpless in his eyes by the second.

Pete didn't speak again, turning back to the news. Patrick picked up his beer, taking it to the kitchen and rooting through the cupboards.

They had barely any food in the house and he knew that everyone expected him or Joe to cook. "Hey Pete, if I order takeout will you go downstairs and get it from the lobby?" He called into the living room.

Pete groaned in response then nodded. "Get my usual please." He requested, grinning. Patrick grabbed a menu from one of the cupboards and knocked on Andy's door.

The door swung open quickly, Andy standing before him. He glared at Patrick. "What do you want?" His voice was full of anger. Patrick could tell he was pissed off.

"Getting takeout, I need to know what you want." He responded, holding out the menu. Andy huffed to himself before looking at Patrick.

"Just stop bothering me and get the usual." He ordered before slamming the door in his face. Patrick felt like banging his head against a brick wall. He just couldn't be bothered with anyone anymore.

He knew what Joe would want and he knew what he wanted, so he wrote it all down on a piece of paper. "What should we get for Mercy?" He asked Pete in the living room.

Pete's eyes didn't leave the TV screen. "Just get bigger portions and we can give her a bit of everything. If she doesn't want anything we get then I'll cook her something else." He drawled, taking in some sort of political debate.

Patrick raised his eyebrows at the suggestion. "You cooking? You nearly burnt down our apartment back in Chicago trying to boil water, is that a good idea?" He chuckled.

Pete's attention shifted to Patrick and he smirked back. "Hey, you once tried to make brownies with Joe and our microwave exploded." Pete reminisced.

Patrick glared at Pete jokingly and then handed him the paper. "Shut up and call for takeout." He said, taking the empty beer bottle from his friend's hand and disposing of it.

Pete called for the food in the living room and Patrick went to go change his shirt because he saw a stain on one side of it. When he got to his room he saw that Mercy was still resting peacefully.

He grabbed another shirt, throwing his stained one onto the floor as he pulled the other one on. He went to the bags of clothes that were on the floor for Mercedes, pulling out a skirt and top and laying it on the bed.

Patrick kneeled down next to her, looking at her face closely. The bruises were becoming visible and he started to hate himself, knowing they were his fault.

He picked up her drawing from the bedside table and tucked it into his drawer. Patrick knew that it wasn't meant for him but he wanted to keep it.

Patrick perched next to Mercy on the bed, studying her face again. The expression was slightly pained and she fidgeted relentlessly. He felt that her forehead was warmer than he thought it should be. She looked as if she was going to wake up for a moment, so he hushed her a little and brought the covers away to cool her down.

Patrick stood up, hearing everyone in the lounge and leaving the room. He grabbed another two beers for him and Pete and handed it to him as he hung up his phone. "Take out is gonna be fifteen minutes." He announced, taking the beer and clinking it against Patrick's.

"That's a little quick, are they even gonna cook our food?" Joe sarcastically questioned. Andy smiled, shrugging.

"I guess they are only down the road." He commented, looking out the window. The news had finished and now Pete was flicking from music channel to music channel sighing.

"Why is there never anything good on?" He whined, throwing the remote down. Joe tutted and picked it off the floor.

"Go pick a film a stop being such a child." He complained. Pete stood up and went to look through the DVD shelves.

After a while, he came back with a DVD in hand and sprinted to the elevator. "Patrick go wake up Mercy, put the film on, I'm getting the food." He yelled as the doors closed.

Patrick quickly ran into his room. She hadn't moved at all since he was last there. He shook her shoulders gently, kneeling next to her. "Hey Mercy, wake up. Dinner is here." He said to her softly. She didn't respond.

Patrick sighed, picking her up and walking to the living room with her in his arms. He sat down on the sofa, shaking her again whilst Joe and Andy watched. "Why won't she respond?" Joe asked him, edging closer.

"I think its the medication. She said it made her drowsy so she's probably in a pretty deep sleep." Patrick said, looking over at the elevator as Pete sprung out with the bags.

He handed everyone their food and frowned when he got to Patrick. "Why isn't she awake?" He asked him curiously.

"Not sure. Just eat your food, I'll heat mine up later." He replied, watching Pete go to the kitchen. 

"I'll put yours and her's on a plate in the fridge, just throw it in the microwave for a minute when you want it." He called over, setting the food out.

Patrick tried to wake Mercy again, shaking her body and speaking to her. It was like she was in a coma. She didn't move or even make a sound. Patrick sighed as the teenage girl laid in his arms continued to rest.

The rest of the guys ate their food, watching the film that was playing obnoxiously loud on the TV. Andy kept gazing at Mercy and then looking away when Patrick noticed.

Pete tapped Patrick on the shoulder gently, making him jump. "Hey, pass her to me and go get your food." He suggested.

Patrick looked down at Mercy feeling conflicted. He then picked her up and moved her onto Pete's lap. He watched as Pete lowered her head onto his chest and curled her body into his.

As Patrick began to walk into the kitchen he heard Pete speak. "She's pretty cute when she's not causing trouble." He commented. Joe laughed slightly, looking towards her.

"Patrick pass me a beer from the fridge when you come back," Pete yelled into the kitchen. Patrick did as he was told, handing him the cool glass bottle as he sat down to eat.

Pete took the bottle and pressed it against the veins on Mercy's wrist. Patrick watched as the girl shivered and opened her eyes slightly. Pete set the bottle down, holding her softly as he looked at her.

"Hey sweetheart. Are you gonna get up and have something to eat?" He asked in a hushed voice. Mercy shook her head slightly, pressing her face into his shirt and closing her eyes again.

Pete lifted her head, causing her to sit up. She was reluctant and fell against his arms. "Come on Mercy, you're like dead weight right now. At least have a drink." He said, holding her strongly upwards. She looked at him briefly and nodded.

He lifted her to her feet, holding her upright for a moment before letting her walk on her own. He followed her to the kitchen. She went into the fridge, pulling out a can of soda. Pete saw that her hands were weak and she struggled to open it.

She took a sip and leaned against the kitchen island. Mercy put down the can and took a deep breath. Pete stepped closer warily, watching her movements carefully. Mercy fell forwards against the counter suddenly and Pete caught her waist before she could hurt herself.

He lifted her onto one of the stools as the others watched from the living room. "Jesus Mercy, you need more rest. You're in a bad state." He said to her, making sure she didn't fall from her chair.

Mercy glanced up at him with cold eyes. "Not exactly my fault, is it?" She retaliated. Pete smirked, keeping eye contact with her.

"Didn't I say she was plucky?" He shouted over to Patrick, who had heard what she had said. He forced a grin before going back to eating.

When he knew she could stay on the stool by herself, Pete went and heated up some food for her. Joe came over too, watching the brunette as her eyes struggled to stay open properly.

"Mercy." Joe called loudly, trying to get a reaction. His face turned to frustration as she shut her eyes again. "Mercedes, stay with us. Look at me, honey." Joe took Mercy's chin in his hand as she snapped her eyelids back open.

"My head hurts." She murmured to him as he looked at her eyes. He gave her a look of pity, holding her up.

"Pete, her pupils are fucked. You go take her to the sofa and I'll get the food." Joe instructed Pete, holding Mercy up. They continued to talk as if she wasn't in the room.

Pete scooped her up in his arms again and took her back to the sofa. He looked over at Patrick. "What did you give her? She's practically comatose." He said, sitting back down and holding the frail girl in his arms.

"I gave her codeine. She said it made her drowsy but I didn't know it would be this bad." He blurted out.

Mercy moved slightly, trying to sit up again so Pete helped her. When Joe came over with the food, Patrick took it from him. He slowly fed her the noodles, keeping her alert by talking to her.

She barely ate anything, refusing the food after she had only eaten a little. Patrick sighed as Andy took the plate away. "If she doesn't want it then she's not going to eat it." He said.

She curled back up onto Pete's body, his hands stroking her hair gently. Patrick tried to ignore it but for some reason, it got to him. She's only 17. He stared at the tv screen, his blood starting to boil. The whole situation where they were all hugging her and threatening sex was fucked up.

Patrick resented himself for being a part of it because, now that he was thinking it over and seeing it in reality, he realised that it was pretty fucking messed up.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys so I made this fic agesss ago but only posted it on Wattpad so I decided to post it on here too. I hope you enjoy it! I will try to upload as many of the chapters as I can quickly


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